Mr. SPECTER. Do you have an opinion, Dr. Carrico, as to the cause of the punctate wound in the President's throat?
Dr. CARRICO. No; I really don't---just on the basis of what I know. We attempt, as you know, to ascertain the track of the bullets.

Mr. Specter.

I can't hear you.
Dr. CARRICO. As you know, we didn't try to ascertain the track of the bullets. And why did you not make an effort to determine the track of bullets?

Dr. CARRICO. Again, in trying to resuscitate the President, the time to do this was not available. The examination conducted was one to try to establish what life threatening situations were present and to correct these.

Mr. Specter.

Was there any discussion among the doctors who attended
President Kennedy as to the cause of the neck wound?
Dr. CARRICO. Yes; after that afternoon.

Mr. Specter.

And what conversations were there?

Dr. CARRICO. As I recall, Dr. Perry, and I talked and tried after---later in the afternoon to determine what exactly had happened, and we were not aware of the missile wound to the back, and postulated that this was either a tangential wound from a fragment, possibly another entrance wound. It could have been an exit wound, but we knew of no other entrance wound.

Mr. Specter.

Was the wound in the neck consistent with being either an entry or exit wound, in your opinion?
Dr. CARRICO. Yes.

Mr. Specter.

Or, did it look to be more one than the other?

Dr. CARRICO. No; it could have been either, depending on the size of the missile, the velocity of the missile, the tissues that it struck.
Mr. SPECTER. Dr. Carrico, assume these facts, if you will---first, that President Kennedy was struck by a 6.5-mm. missile which entered the upper-right posterior thorax, just above the scapula, being 14 cm. from the tip of the right acromion, a-c-r-o-m-i-o-n (spelling) process, and 14 cm. below the tip of the right mastoid process, and that the missile traveled between two strap muscles, proceeded through the fascia channel without violating the pleural cavity, striking the side of the trachea and exiting in the lower third of the anterior throat. Under the circumstances which I have just described to you, would the wound which you observed on the President's throat be consistent with the damage which a 6.5-mm. missile, traveling at the rate of approximately 2,000 feet per second, that being muzzle velocity, with the President being 160 to 250 feet away from the rifle, would that wound be consistent with that type of a weapon at that distance, with the missile taking the path I have just described to you?
Dr. CARRICO. I certainly think it could.
Mr. SPECTER. And what would your thinking be as to why it could produce that result?
Dr. CARRICO. I think a missile of this size, traveling in such a direction that it had very little deformity, struck nothing which would cause it to begin tumbling, and was slowed very little by passing through this relatively easy traversed planes, would not expend a great deal of energy on exit and would very likely not tumble, thus producing a small, round, even wound.

Mr. Specter.

What has been your experience, if any, with gunshot wounds?
Dr. CARRICO. In working in the emergency room at Parkland, we have seen a fairly good number of gunshot wounds, and with .22 and .25 caliber weapons of somewhat, possibly somewhat lower velocity but at closer range, we have seen entrance and exit wounds of almost the same size, especially the same size, when passing through superficial structures.
Mr. SPECTER. And what superficial structures did those missiles pass through to which you have Just referred?
Dr. CARRICO. The ones I was referring to in particular were through the muscles of the leg superficially.

Mr. Specter.

Approximately how many missile wounds, bullet wounds, have

you had an opportunity to observe in your practice, Doctor?
Dr. CARRICO. I would guess 150 or 200.
Mr. SPECTER Would you describe as precisely for me as possible the nature of the head wound which you observed on the President?