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. Would you outline briefly the circumstances surrounding
your call or your joining in the participation in that medical effort?
Dr. CURTIS. I was--do you want me to tell from the time that I got to
the emergency room?
Mr. SPECTER. Yes--how did you happen to get to the emergency room?
Dr. CURTIS. I was in our out-patient clinic and saw the President's
car, or I saw that it had arrived at the emergency room entrance, and
I went over there as a matter of curiosity and was directed into the
emergency room and there was directed by a policeman into the room
where President Kennedy was.
Mr. SPECTER. About what time was that?
Dr. CURTIS. I don't know--it was shortly after he arrived.
Mr. SPECTER. Approximately how long after he arrived?
Dr. CURTIS. I would say it was within--I would say within a minute
after he arrived at the trauma room, although there's no way for me to
know that.
Mr. SPECTER. Who was present in the trauma room at that time?
Dr. CURTIS. Dr. Carrico and a nurse, I believe.
Mr. SPECTER. Do you know the identity of the nurse?
Dr. CURTIS. No.
Mr. SPECTER. What did you observe, if anything, as to the condition of
President Kennedy at that time?
Dr. CURTIS. I observed that he was in a supine position, with his head
extended, and I couldn't see on my arrival--I couldn't see the nature
of the wounds, however, Dr. Carrico was standing at the patient's head.
Dr. Carrico had just placed an endotracheal tube and I participated in
applying the Bird machine respirator into the endotracheal tube for
artificial respiration.
Mr. SPECTER. How does it happen that you would participate to that
effect in view of the fact that you are an oral surgeon?
Dr. CURTIS. We participate in the emergency room on traumatic injuries
of both the face and the entire patient, because the face is hooked
onto a patient. We have a tour through anesthesia. We spend time on
general anesthesia where we learn management of the patient's airway
which makes us, I would say, qualified, for airway management. In our
training here at the hospital we many, many times have patients on
intravenous infusion and so we are well acquainted with the procedures
attendant with the management of I.V. fluids.
Mr. SPECTER. Is there always someone from oral surgery available at the
trauma area?
Dr. CURTIS. One of the oral surgeons is on call at the emergency room
at all times and we try to stay within a very short distance from the
emergency room. We see many patients in the emergency room area.
Mr. SPECTER. Is that for the purpose of rendering aid for someone who
would be injured in a way which would call for an oral surgeon?
Dr. CURTIS. Yes--maxillofacial injuries.
Mr. SPECTER. And in addition, you help out in a general way when there
is an emergency situation?
Dr. CURTIS. Yes.
Mr. SPECTER. Now, was there anything in President Kennedy's condition
which called for the application of your specific specialty?
Dr. CURTIS. No; there wasn't.
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