Mr. Specter. Would you be able to give an approximation of the total number of bullet wounds you have had occasion to observe and treat?
Dr. Shaw. Considering the war experience and the addition of wounds seen in civilian practice, it probably would number well over a thousand, since we had over 900 admissions to the hospital in Paris.
Mr. Specter. What was the line of trajectory, Dr. Shaw, between the point in the back of the Governor and the point in the front of the Governor, where the bullet wounds were observed?
Dr. Shaw. Considering the wound of entrance and the wound of exit, the trajectory of the bullet was obliquely downward, considering the fact that the Governor was in a sitting position at the time of wounding.
Mr. Specter. As an illustrative guide here, Dr. Shaw——
Dr. Shaw. May I add one sentence there?
Mr. Specter. Please do.
Dr. Shaw. The bullet, in passing through the Governor's chest wall struck the fifth rib at its midpoint and roughly followed the slanting direction of the fifth rib, shattering approximately 10 cm. of the rib. The intercostal muscle bundle above the fifth rib and below the fifth rib were surprisingly spared from injury by the shattering of the rib, which again establishes the trajectory of the bullet.
Mr. Specter. Would the shattering of the rib have had any effect in deflecting the path of the bullet from a straight line?
Dr. Shaw. It could have, except that in the case of this injury, the rib was obviously struck so that not too dense cancellus portion of the rib in this position was carried away by the bullet and probably there was very little in the way of deflection.