WCR Appendix VIII - The Parkland Doctors' Medical Reports

[Bob Prudhomme]

Next up is Dr. Charles R. Baxter:


PARKLAND MEMORIAL HOSPITAL
ADMISSION NOTE
DATE AND HOUR NOV 22, 1963 DOCTOR: BAXTER
Note of Attendance to President Kennedy.
I was contacted at approx 12:40 that the President was on the way to the emergency room having been shot. On arrival there, I found an endotracheal tube in place with assisted respirations, a left chest tube being inserted and cut downs going in one leg and in the left arm. The President had a wound in the mid-line of the neck. On first observation of the remaining wounds the rt temporal and occipital bones were missing and the brain was lying on the table, with .extensive lacerations and contusions. The pupils were fixed and deviated lateral and dilated. No pulse was detectable and respirations were (as noted) being supplied. A tracheotomy was performed by Dr. Perry and I and a chest tube inserted into the right chest (2[SUP]nd[/SUP] intercostal space anteriorally). Meanwhile, 2 pts of O neg blood were administered by pump without response. When all of these measures were complete, no heart beat could be detected. Close chest message was performed until a cardioscope could be attached which revealed no cardiac activity was obtained. Due to the excessive and irreparable brain damage which was lethal, no further attempt to resuscitate the heart was made.

Charles R. Baxter M.D.
Associate Prof of Surgery
Southwestern Medical School

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Note that Dr. Baxter reported "the rt (right) temporal and occipital bones were missing". The occipital bone lies under the undamaged area seen on the back of JFK's head in the official WC "back of head" photo. Once again, below, the occipital bone:



And the temporal bone. Note that neither of these bones is anywhere close to the top of the head: