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Warren Commission Hearings: Vol. VI - Page 87« Previous | Next »

(Testimony of Dr. Robert Shaw)

Mr. SPECTER. Would you at this time, right above the right shoulder there, draw the appearances of the point of exit as nearly as you can recollect it on Governor Connally?
Dr. SHAW. This is right.

Mr. Specter.
You say the hole which appears on Governor Connally is just about the size that it would have been on his body?
Dr. SHAW. Yes; it is drawn in good scale.
Mr. Specter.
In good scale to the body?
Dr. SHAW. Yes.
Mr. Specter.
Would you draw it on another portion of the paper here in of its absolute size?
Dr. SHAW. Five cm. it would be about like that--do you want me to mark that?
Mr. Specter.
Put your initials right in the center of that circle.
Dr. SHAW. I'll just put "wound of exit."
Mr. SPECTER Fine--just put "wound of exit--actual size" and put your initials under it.
(The witness, Dr. Shaw, complied with request of Counsel Specter.)
Mr. SPECTER. Let the record show that Dr. Shaw has marked "wound of exit--actual size" with his initials R.R.S. on the diagram 1.
Now, looking at diagram 2, Dr. Shaw, does the angle of declination on the figure correspond with the angle that the bullet passed through Governor Connally's chest?
Dr. SHAW. It does.
Mr. Specter.
Is there any feature of diagram 3 which is useful in further elaborating that which you have commented about on diagram 1?
Dr. SHAW. No. Again off the record?
Mr. Specter.
All right, off the record.
(Discussion between Counsel Specter and the witness, Dr. Shaw, off the record.)
Mr. SPECTER. You have just commented off the record, Dr. Shaw, that the wound of entry is too large proportionately to the wound of exit, but aside from that, is there anything else on diagram 3 which will be helpful to us?
Dr. SHAW. No.
Mr. Specter.
Is there anything else on diagram 4 which would be helpful by way of elaborating that which appeared on diagram 2?
Dr. SHAW. No.

Mr. SPECTER. Now as to the treatment or operative procedure which you performed on Governor Connally, would you now describe what you did for him?
Dr. SHAW. As soon as anesthesia had been established and an endotracheal tube was in place so that respiration could be controlled with positive pressure, the large occlusive dressing which had been applied in the emergency room was removed. This permitted better inspection of the wound of exit, air passed to and fro through the damaged chest wall, there was obvious softening of the bony framework of the chest wall as evidenced by exaggerated motion underneath the skin along the line of the trajectory of the missile.
The skin of the chest wall axilla and back were thoroughly cleaned and aseptic solution was applied for further cleaning of the skin, the whole area was draped so as to permit access to both the wound of exit and the entrance wound. Temporarily, the wound of entrance was covered with a sterile towel.
First an elliptical incision was made to remove the ragged edges of the wound of exit. This incision was then extended laterally and upward in a curved direction so as to not have the incision through the skin and subcutaneous tissue directly over the line of the trajectory of the bullet where the chest had been softened.
It was found that approximately 10 cm. of the fifth rib had been shattered and the rib fragments acting as secondary missiles had been the major contributing factor to the damage to the anterior chest wall and to the underlying lung.
Mr. SPECTER. What do you mean, Doctor, by the words "fragments acting as secondary missiles"?
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