I noted there was a large wound of the right posterior parietal area in the head exposing lacerated brain. There was blood and brain tissue on the cart. The President's eyes were deviated and dilated and he was unresponsive. There was a small wound in the lower anterior third in the midline of the neck, from which blood was exuding very slowly.
Mr. Specter. Will you describe that wound as precisely as you can, please?
Dr. Perry. The wound was roughly spherical to oval in shape, not a punched-out wound, actually, nor was it particularly ragged. It was rather clean cut, but the blood obscured any detail about the edges of the wound exactly.
Mr. Specter. What was the condition of the edges of the wound, if you can recollect?
Dr. Perry. I couldn't state with certainty, due to the fact that they were covered by blood and I did not make a minute examination. I determined only the fact that there was a wound there, roughly 5 mm. in size or so.
Mr. Specter. Have you now described it as precisely as you can; that wound?
Dr. Perry. I think so.
Mr. Specter. What else, if anything, did you observe as to the condition of the President?
Dr. Perry. Spasmodic respiratory efforts were obvious, but I did not detect a pulse nor a heart beat on a very rapid examination. It was apparent that respirations were ineffective, even with the use of the endotracheal tube and oxygen. At that point I asked Dr. Carrico if this was a wound in his neck or had he begun the tracheotomy, and he said it was a wound and I, at that point, asked someone to get me a tracheotomy tray, and put on some gloves and initiated the procedure.
Mr. Specter. Now, have you described everything that you can recollect about your observations of the President before you started to work on him?