Mr. Specter. Would your examination have been conducted in any different way had this particular victim not been the President of the United States?
Dr. Baxter. I think—yes—in that we would have, particularly, postmortem examined the body much more carefully than we did. We would certainly have undressed him completely and determined all of the direction of the wounds at the time. This did not seem feasible under the circumstances.
Mr. Specter. Why was it not feasible under the circumstances?
Dr. Baxter. Mrs. Kennedy was in the room, there was a large number of people in the room by that time—Secret Service Agents, the priests and so on. As soon as the President was pronounced dead, the Secret Service more or less—well, requested that we clear the room and leave them with the President's body, which was done. Everything that the Secret Service wished was carried out.
Mr. Specter. What was that?
Dr. Baxter. Everything that the Secret Service asked us to do, we did, as rapidly as possible and this was one of their requests.
In addition, I must say that the emotional condition of all of us at that time was such that probably we would not—we didn't feel that we should do any more, since we were certain that autopsy would take care of all that we were going to miss.
Mr. Specter. Did the emotional situation have any effect in your professional opinion on the quality of the medical care which was rendered to the President?
Dr. Baxter. No; none at all. We, I think, everyone present in the room was certainly emotionally involved in the care of the President, but in no instance did I see less than the most meticulous and best judgment used in the care of the President.
Mr. Specter. And what, in your opinion, was the cause of death, Dr. Baxter?