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. And what, in your opinion, was the cause of death, Dr.
Baxter?
Dr. BAXTER. Gunshot wound to the head.
Mr. SPECTER. Would you have an opinion as to whether or not President
Kennedy would have survived the gunshot wound which you observed in the
neck?
Dr. BAXTER. We saw no evidence that it had struck anything in the neck
that would not be well taken care of by simply--by the tracheotomy and
chest tubes.
Mr. SPECTER. Did you find any bullets in the President's body?
Dr. BAXTER. No, we did not.
Mr. SPECTER. Any fragments of bullets in the President's body?
Mr. BAXTER. No, sir.
Mr. SPECTER. Dr. Baxter, I now show you Commission Exhibit 392, which
has been heretofore identified in Commission Proceedings as the report
from Parkland Memorial Hospital, and I now call your attention to a
page which purports to bear your signature, and a written report which
you rendered under date of November 22, 1963. I ask you, first of all,
if that is your signature?
Dr. BAXTER. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. And, if this is the report which you submitted?
Dr. BAXTER. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you have any other writings or notes of any sort
concerning your care of President Kennedy?
Dr. BAXTER. No.
Mr. SPECTER. Will you read into the record, Dr. Baxter, the contents of
your report, because it is a little hard to read in spots?
Dr. BAXTER. "I was contacted at approximately 12:40 that the
President was on the way to the Emergency Room, having been shot. On
arrival there, I found an endotracheal tube in place with assisted
respirations, a left chest tube being inserted, and cutdowns going in
one leg and in the left arm.
The President had a wound in the midline of the neck. On first
observation of the remaining wounds, the temporal and parietal bones
were missing and the brain was lying on the table with extensive
lacerations and contusions. The pupils were fixed and deviated
laterally and dilated. No pulse was detectable, respirations were (as
noted) being supplemented. A tracheotomy was performed by Dr. Perry and
I and a chest tube inserted into the right chest (second interspace
anteriorly). Meanwhile, 2 pints of O negative blood was administered
by pump without response. When all of these measures were complete, no
heartbeat could be detected, closed chest massage was performed until a
cardioscope could be attached, which revealed no cardiac activity was
obtained.
Due to the extensive and irreparable brain damage which was detected,
no further attempt to resuscitate the heart was made."
Mr. SPECTER. And that bears your signature?
Dr. BAXTER. Charles R. Baxter, M.D., assistant professor of surgery,
Southwestern Medical School, University of Texas.
Mr. SPECTER. Dr. Baxter, has any representative of the Federal
Government ever talked to you about this matter prior to today?
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