I examined the chest briefly, and from the anterior portion did not see anything.
I pushed up the brace on the left side very briefly to feel for his femoral pulse, but did not obtain any.
I did no further examination because it was obvious that if any treatment were to be carried out with any success a secure effective airway must be obtained immediately.
I asked Dr. Carrico if the wound on the neck was actually a wound or had he begun a tracheotomy and he replied in the negative, that it was a wound, and at that point——
Mr. Dulles. I am a little confused, I thought Dr. Carrico was absent. That was an earlier period.
Dr. Perry. No, sir; he was present.
Dr. Perry. Yes; he was present when I walked in the room and, at that point, I asked someone to secure a tracheotomy tray but there was one already there. Apparently Dr. Carrico had already asked them to set up the tray.
Mr. Specter. Dr. Perry, backtracking just a bit from the context of the answer which you have just given, would you describe the quantity of blood which you observed on the carriage when you first came into the room where the President was located?
Dr. Perry. Mr. Specter, this is an extremely difficult thing. The estimation of blood when it is either on the floor or on drapes or bandages is grossly inaccurate in almost every instance.