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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. III - Page 372« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Dr. Malcolm Perry)

Mr. Specter.
would be air in the free chest cavity underlying collapse of the lungs.
Mr. Specter.
Would that have been caused by the injury which you noted to the President's trachea?
Dr. PERRY. There was no evidence of a hemothorax or a pneumothorax my examination; only it is sufficient this could have been observed because of the free blood in the mediastinum.
Mr. Specter.
Were the symptoms which excited your suspicion causable by the injury to the trachea?
Dr. PERRY. They were.
Mr. Specter.
At what time was the pronouncement of death made?
Dr. PERRY. Approximately 1 o'clock.
Mr. Specter.
By whom was death announced?
Dr. PERRY. Dr. Kemp Clark.
Mr. Specter.
Was there any special reason why it was Dr. Kemp Clark who pronounced the President had died?
Dr. PERRY. It was the opinion of those of us who had attended the President that the ultimate cause of his demise was a severe injury to his brain with subsequent loss of neurologic function and subsequent massive loss of blood, and thus Dr. Clark, being a neurosurgeon, signed the death certificate.
Mr. Specter.
In your opinion, would the President have survived the injury which he sustained to the neck which you have described?
Dr. PERRY. Barring the advent of complications this wound was tolerable, and I think he would have survived it.
Mr. Specter.
Have you now described all of the treatment which was rendered to the President by the medical team in attendance at Parkland Memorial Hospital.
Dr. PERRY. In essence I have, Mr. Specter. I do not know the exact quantities of balance salt solutions or blood that was given. I mentioned the 300 mg. of hydrocortisone Dr. Carrico ordered and, of course, he was given oxygen under pressure which has been previously recorded. The quantities of substances or any other drugs I have no knowledge of.
Mr. Specter.
In general you have recounted the treatment?
Dr. PERRY. That is correct.
Mr. Specter.
Have you now stated for the record all of the individuals who were in attendance in treating the President that you can recollect at this time?
Dr. PERRY. Yes, sir; I have.
Mr. Specter.
Will you now describe as specifically as you can, the injury which you noted in the President's head?
Dr. PERRY. As I mentioned previously in the record, I made only a cursory examination of the President's head. I noted a large avulsive wound of the right parietal occipital area, in which both scalp and portions of skull were absent, and there was severe laceration of underlying brain tissue. My examination did not go any further than that.
Mr. Specter.
Did you, to be specific, observe a smaller wound below the large avulsed area which you have described?
Dr. PERRY. I did not.
Mr. Specter.
Was there blood in that area of the President's head?
Dr. PERRY. There was.
Mr. Specter.
Which might have obscured such a wound?
Dr. PERRY. There was a considerable amount of blood at the head of the cartilage.
Mr. Specter.
Would you now describe as particularly as possible the neck wound you observed?
Dr. PERRY. This was situated in the lower anterior one-third of the neck, approximately 5 mm. in diameter.
It was exuding blood slowly which partially obscured it. Its edges were neither ragged nor were they punched out, but rather clean.
Mr. Specter.
Have you now described the neck wound as specifically as you can?
Dr. PERRY. I have.
Mr. Specter.
Based on your observations of the neck wound alone, do you
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