Mr. Specter.

there were several other gentlemen beth in the door and right outside the door to the room. Some of them, I assume, part of the legal force.

Mr. Specter.

Did you observe any other doctors in the room at that time?
Dr. PERRY. No, sir; I did not. There was somebody else in the room, but I don't know who it was. I remember only Dr. Carrico---I had the impression that one of the interns was in the room, but this may be an impression gathered after the fact.

Mr. SPECTER. What did. you observe as to the President's condition at the time you first saw him ?
Dr. PERRY. He was lying supine on the emergency cart directly in the center of the room under the overhead lamp. His shirt had been removed, and intravenous infusion was being begun in the right leg, I believe. Dr. Carrico was at the head of the table attaching the oxygen apparatus to assist in respiration.
I noted there was a large wound of the right posterior parietal area in the head exposing lacerated brain. There was blood and brain tissue on the cart. The President's eyes were deviated and dilated and he was unresponsive. There was a small wound in the lower anterior third in the midline of the neck, from which blood was exuding very slowly.

Mr. Specter.

Will you describe that wound as precisely as you can, please?
Dr. PERRY. The wound was roughly spherical to oval in shape, not a punched-out wound, actually, nor was it particularly ragged. It was rather clean cut, but the blood obscured any detail about the edges of the wound exactly.

Mr. SPECTER. What was the condition of the edges of the wound, if you can recollect?
Dr. PERRY. I couldn't state with certainty, due to the fact that they were covered by blood. and I did not make a minute examination. I determined only the fact that there was a wound there, roughly 5 mm. in size or so.

Mr. Specter.

Have you now described it as precisely as you can; that wound?
Dr. PERRY. I think so.

Mr. Specter.

What else, if anything, did you observe as to the condition of the President?

Dr. PERRY. Spasmodic respiratory efforts were obvious, but I did not detect a pulse nor a heart beat on a very rapid examination. It was apparent that respirations were ineffective, even with the use of the endotracheal tube and oxygen. At that point I asked Dr. Carrico if this was a wound in his neck or had he begun the tracheotomy, and he said it was a wound and I, at that point, asked someone to get me a tracheotomy tray, and put on some gloves and. initiated the procedure.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, have you described everything that you can recollect about your observations of the President before you started to work on him?
Dr. PERRY. There Was no evidence to that cursory examination of any other
wound. I did not move the President. I did not turn him over.

Mr. Specter.

Why did you not turn him over?
Dr. PERRY. At that point it was necessary to attend to the emergent procedure and a satisfactory effective airway is uppermost in such a condition. If you are unable to obtain an effective airway, then the other procedures are to be of no avail.
Mr. SPECTER. Well, on the subject of turning him over, did you ever turn him over?
Dr. PERRY. I did not.
Mr. SPECTER. Why didn't you turn him over after you had taken the initial action on him?
Dr. PERRY. After the tracheotomy tube was in place and we were breathing for him, Dr. Clark and I had begun external cardiac massage, since we had been unable to detect a heart beat, blood pressure, or pulse. I continued with the cardiac massage while Dr. Clark examined the head wound, and he and Dr. Jenkins conferred in regard to the electrocardiogram. It was determined, that none of the resuscitative measures were effective and the procedures were then abandoned.
I had no further business in the room at that point, and I left the room momentarily. I returned within a minute or so, because I had left my coat