Quote Originally Posted by O'ETAIPOS
Not to mention that it is usually much easier to heal wounds from blades of various kinds than from bullets that commonly caused gangrene.
I'm not sure about this. Bayonet drill generally calls for the blade to be driven into the opponents belly. The bayonets triangular profile leaves a gaping wound tract that doesn't close easily so the recipient would more as likely perish from blood loss on the field.

Musket strikes are generally random but with a higher proportion to the upper body. This meant that a smaller proportion are going to hit vital areas so the recipient has a greater chance at making it to a field hospital and thus effecting the causality statistics. If the ball hasn't shattered a bone or struck a vital organ then the main challenge for the surgeon is to remove the remains of the ball and clean the wound. Those that could afford it wore silk shirts so that the silk would contain the ball fragments, reducing the chance of infection.