Warren Commission (06 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)United States. Warren Commission
History
Warren Commission (06 of 26): Hearings Vol. VI (of 15)
United States. Warren Commission
Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 -- Assassination; Oswald, Lee Harvey
Mr. SPECTER. What do you mean, Doctor, by the words "fragments acting
as secondary missiles"?
Dr. SHAW. When bone is struck by a high velocity missile it fragments
and acts much like bowling pins when they are struck by a bowling
ball--they fly in all directions.
Mr. SPECTER. Will you continue now and further describe the treatment
which you performed?
Dr. SHAW. The bony fragments were removed along with all obviously
damaged muscle. It was found that the fourth and fifth intercoastal
muscle bundles were almost completely intact where the rib had been
stripped out. There was damage to the latissimus dorsi muscle, but
this was more in the way of laceration, so that the damage could be
repaired by suture. The portion of parietal pleura which had not been
torn by the injury was opened along the length of the resected portion
of the fifth rib. The jagged ends of the fifth rib were cleaned with
a rongeur; approximately 200 cc. of clot and liquid blood was removed
from the pleura cavity; inspection of the lung revealed that the middle
lobe had a long tear which separated the lobe into approximately two
equal segments. This tear extended up into the hilum of the lobe, but
had not torn a major bronchus or a major blood vessel. The middle
lobe was repaired with a running No. 3 O chromic gut approximating
the tissue of the depths of the lobe, with two sutures, and then
approximating the visceral pleura on both the medial and lateral
surface with a running suture of the same material--same gut.
Upon repair of the lobe it expanded well upon pressure on the
anesthetic bag with very little in the way of peripheral leak.
Attention was next turned to the lower lobe. There was a large hematoma
in the anterior basal segment of the right lower lobe extending on into
the median basal segment. At one point there was a laceration in the
surface of the lobe approximating a centimeter in length, undoubtedly
caused by one of the penetrating rib fragments. A single mattress
suture No. 3 O chromic gut on an atromitac needle was used to close
this laceration from which blood was oozing.
Next, the diaphragm and all parts of the right mediastinum was examined
but no injury was found.
The portion of the drainage tube which had already been placed in
the second interspace in the anterior axillary line which protruded
into the chest was cut away, since it was deemed to be longer than
necessary. A second drainage tube was placed through a stab wound in
the eighth interspace in the posterior axillary line and both of these
tubes were connected to a water sealed bottle. The fourth and fifth
intercoastal muscle bundles were then approximated with interrupted
sutures of No. O chromic gut.
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