Mr. Specter. What was his coloring?
Dr. Curtis. He was pink—he wasn't cyanotic when I saw him.
Mr. Specter. And will you explain in lay terms what cyanotic means for the record at this point?
Dr. Curtis. When the hemoglobin of the blood is reduced, it turns a blue color and the patient becomes blue, when a certain percentage of the hemoglobin is reduced. That's not a lay term either, but when the patient is in oxygen need or oxygen want, cyanosis would be apparent.
Mr. Specter. And how does that manifest itself in the patient?
Dr. Curtis. The patient will be a blue, gray, ashen color.
Mr. Specter. What action was Dr. Carrico taking upon your arrival?
Dr. Curtis. He had placed an endotracheal tube in the President's trachea for artificial respiration.
Mr. Specter. Was he doing anything else?
Dr. Curtis. Yes; he was applying the Bird machine.