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. Returning to the wound which you first described, can you
state in any more detail the appearance of it at the time you first saw
it?
Dr. AKIN. I don't think I could--this is about all I noticed. I noticed
this wound very briefly and it was a matter of academics as to how he
sustained the wound. My attention, because of my standing on the right
side of the patient who was lying supine, my attention was very soon
directed to the head wound, and this was my major concern.
Mr. SPECTER. And as to the neck wound, did you have occasion to observe
whether there was a smooth, jagged, or what was the nature of the
portion of the neck wound, which had not been cut by the tracheotomy?
Dr. AKIN. It was slightly ragged around the edges.
Mr. SPECTER. And when you said that----
Dr. AKIN. No powder burns; I didn't notice any powder burns.
Mr. SPECTER. What was the dimension of the punctate wound, without
regards to the tracheotomy which was being started?
Dr. AKIN. It looked--it was as you said, it was a punctate wound. It
was roughly circular, about, I would judge, 1.5 cm. in diameter.
Mr. SPECTER. What did you mean when you just made your reference to the
academic aspect with the wound, Dr. Akin?
Dr. AKIN. Well, naturally, the thought flashed through my mind that
this might have been an entrance wound. I immediately thought it could
also have been an exit wound, depending upon the nature of the missile
that made the wound.
Mr. SPECTER. What would be the circumstances on which it might be one
or the other?
Dr. AKIN. Well, if the President had been shot with a low velocity
missile, such as fire from a pistol, it was more likely to have been an
entrance wound, is that what you mean?
Mr. SPECTER. Yes.
Dr. AKIN. If, however, he had been shot with a high velocity military
type of rifle, for example, it could be either an entrance wound or an
exit wound.
Mr. SPECTER. Why do you say it could be either an entrance wound or an
exit wound with respect to the rifle?
Dr. AKIN. Well, because a high velocity missile coming from a military
rifle, especially if the missile were a jacketed missile, a copper- or
steel-jacketed missile, itself, the missile itself is not distorted
when it passes through soft tissue, and the wound made when the bullet
leaves the body, is a small wound, much like the wound of entrance, but
like I said, I didn't devote much time to conjecture about this.
Mr. SPECTER. How much experience have you had, if any, on gunshot
wounds, doctor?
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