Mr. SPECTER. Did you observe any wounds on him at the time you first saw him?
Dr. AKIN. There was a midline neck wound below the level of the cricoid cartilage, about 1 to 1.5 cm. in diameter, the lower part of this had been cut across when I saw the wound, it had been cut across with a knife in the performance of the tracheotomy. The back of the right occipitalparietal portion of his head was shattered, with brain substance extruding.
Mr. SPECTER. Returning to the wound which you first described, can you state in any more detail the appearance of it at the time you first saw it?
Dr. AKIN. I don't think I could--this is about all I noticed. I noticed this wound very briefly and it was a matter of academics as to how he sustained the wound. My attention, because of my standing on the right side of the patient who was lying supine, my attention was very soon directed to the head wound, and this was my major concern.
Mr. SPECTER. And as to the neck wound, did you have occasion to observe whether there was a smooth, jagged, or what was the nature of the portion of the neck wound which had not been cut by the tracheotomy?
Dr. AKIN. It was slightly ragged around the edges.

Mr. Specter.

And when you said that--
Dr. AKIN. No powder burns; I didn't notice any powder burns.

Mr. SPECTER. What was the dimension of the punctate wound, without regards to the tracheotomy which was being started?
Dr. AKIN. It looked--it was as you said, it was a puncture wound. It was roughly circular, about, I would judge, 1.5 cm.. in diameter.
Mr. SPECTER. What did you mean when you just made your reference to the academic aspect with the wound, Dr. Akin?
Dr. AKIN. Well, naturally, the thought flashed through my mind that this might have been an entrance wound. I immediately thought it could, also have been an exit wound, depending upon the nature of the missile thatmade the wound.
Mr. SPECTER. What would be the circumstances on which it might be one or the other?
Dr. AKIN. Well, if the President had been shot with a low velocity missile, such as fire from a pistol, it was more likely to have been an entrance wound, is that what you mean?

Mr. Specter.

Yes.

Dr. AKIN. If, however, he had been shot with a high velocity military type of rifle, for example, it could be either an entrance wound or an exit wound.
Mr. SPECTER. Why do you say it could be either an entrance wound or an exit wound with respect to the rifle?
Dr. AKIN. Well, because a high velocity missile coming from a military rifle, especially if the missile were a jacketed missile, a copper- or steel-jacketed missile, itself, the missile itself is not distorted when it passes through soft tissue, and the wound made when the bullet leaves the body, is a small wound, much like the wound of entrance, but like I said, I didn't devote much time to conjecture about this.
Mr. SPECTER. How much experience have you had, if any, on gunshot wounds, doctor ?
Dr. AKIN. I can't really give you, say, how many cases a week I see of this. Most of my experience with this is in an anesthetic situation with patients coming into the hospital, having sustained gunshot injuries, most of them are injured with low velocity missiles, smaller caliber--.22 caliber to .38 caliber, and most of them are not injured in a through and through fashion. In other words. I don't see too many exit wounds, the bullets are slow moving, and they enter the body and don't leave it. They usually stay in it, so consequently I could not be considered an expert in exit wounds.
Mr. SPECTER. Is that the general line of bullet wounds which come into Parkland Hospital, would you say ?
Dr. AKIN. What I have just described, you mean?

Mr. Specter.

Yes.

Dr. AKIN. Yes; I think so. Most of the people seem to be shot with cheap ammunition fired out of inferior weapons.