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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. VI - Page 13« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Dr. Malcolm Perry Oliver)

exit wound, not having examined the President further---I could not comment on any other injuries.
As regards the cause of death, Dr. Clark and I concurred that massive brain trauma with attendant severe hemorrhage was the underlying cause of death, and then there were questions asked in regard to what we did, and I described as I have for you, although not in such detail essentially the resuscitative measures that were taken at that time; namely, the reinfusion of a balanced salt solution of blood, Solucortef, assisting of respiration with oxygen and pressure apparatus, the tracheotomy, and the chest tubes and the monitoring with the cardiotachioscope.
Mr. SPECTER Did you express a view as to what might have happened with respect to the number of bullets?
Dr. PERRY. I was asked by several of the people of the press, initially, if there were one or two or more bullets, and to that, Dr. Clark and I both replied that we could not say. I was then asked if it was conceivable that it could have been caused by one bullet, and I replied in the affirmative, that I did not know, but it was conceivable.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you elaborate on how it could have been caused by one bullet?
Dr. PERRY I was asked if this were one bullet, how would it occur, and I said, "It is conceivable or possible that a bullet could enter and strike the
spinal column and he deviated superiorly to exit from the head."

Mr. Specter.
And where would that point of entry have been ?

Dr. PERRY. The surmise was made that if the point of entry were in the neck, how would it have happened, and that is the way I would have reconstructed it. Again, this was speculation.
Mr. Specter.
Did you denominate it clearly as speculation?
Dr. PERRY. I did.
Mr. Specter.
Or, what could have been as opposed to what your opinion was?
Dr. PERRY. I did. I said this was conceivable this was possible, but again, Dr. Clark and I emphasized again that we did not know whether there was one or two bullets.
Mr. Specter.
Did you express any view as to whether it might have been

one bullet or two bullets or either, or what?
Dr. PERRY. I said I did not know.
Mr. SPECTER. And were you asked any other questions at that press conference that you can recollect as being important at this time?
Dr. PERRY. Someone did ask us about Mrs. Kennedy, and I recall that I mentioned that I did not speak to her, but that she was very composed and very quiet.
Mr. Specter.
Now, were you a part of any other press conferences?
Dr. PERRY. Yes; I was.
Mr. Specter.
And when did the next one occur ?

Dr. PERRY. There were several organized press conferences that occurred in the administration suite in the hospital, Mr. Specter, and I don't know the exact times of these. There were several later that afternoon. There were some the following day, on Saturday, also held in the administrator's office, and then there were subsequent conferences in relation to the other incident
that occurred on Sunday with Mr. Oswald. I don't know how many there were.
Mr. SPECTER. Were all these conferences set up by the administration of the hospital ?
Dr. PERRY. They were all conducted here. They weren't necessarily---I wouldn't say---set up by the administration. They were done here at the hospital, with one exception, of which you are aware, that I spoke with you about the gentleman that came to me when I was out of town.
Mr. Specter.
Will you elaborate upon what occurred on that occasion, please?
Dr. PERRY. I had taken the course of complying-with the press insofar as was possible about what I could speak that was common knowledge and which had already been covered at the initial press conference. I had done that in the administrative suite or in the hospital or in the medical school under an organized situation as opposed to doing it, say, at home.
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