I
placed my hand under his chin, looking into his eyes an almost
instantaneous glance revealed the fact that he was in no immediate
danger, and in response to appeals from Mrs. Lincoln and Miss Harris,
who were standing by the high-backed armchair in which President
Lincoln sat, I went immediately to their assistance, saying I was a
United States army surgeon. I grasped Mrs. Lincoln's outstretched hand
in mine, while she cried piteously to me, "Oh, Doctor! Is he dead? Can
he recover? Will you take charge of him? Do what you can for him. Oh,
my dear husband!" etc., etc. I soothingly answered that we would do
all that possibly could be done. While approaching the President, I
asked a gentleman, who was at the door of the box, to procure some
brandy and another to get some water.

As I looked at the President, he appeared to be dead. His eyes were
closed and his head had fallen forward. He was being held upright in
his chair by Mrs. Lincoln, who was weeping bitterly. From his
crouched down sitting posture it was evident that Mrs. Lincoln had
instantly sprung to his aid after he had been wounded and had kept him
from tumbling to the floor. By Mrs. Lincoln's courage, strength and
energy the President was maintained in this upright position during
all the time that elapsed while Major Rathbone had bravely fought the
assassin and removed the obstruction from the door of the box.

I placed my finger on the President's right radial pulse but could
perceive no movement of the artery. For the purpose of reviving him,
if possible, we removed him from his chair to a recumbent position on
the floor of the box, and as I held his head and shoulders while doing
this, my hand came in contact with a clot of blood near his left
shoulder. Remembering the flashing dagger in the hand of the assassin,
and the severely bleeding wound of Major Rathbone, I supposed the
President had been stabbed, and while kneeling on the floor over his
head, with my eyes continuously watching the President's face, I asked
a gentleman to cut the coat and shirt open from the neck to the elbow
to enable me, if possible, to check the hemorrhage that I thought
might take place from the subclavian artery or some other blood
vessel. This was done with a dirk knife, but no wound was found there.
I lifted his eyelids and saw evidence of a brain injury. I quickly
passed the separated fingers of both hands through his blood matted
hair to examine his head, and I discover