In part one of this two-part series on Body Bags hosts Joseph Scott Morgan and Dave Mack take listeners through the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and its aftermath. They describe the chaos at Ford's Theater, the attending physicians' struggles as they assessed Lincoln's condition with limited medical knowledge and tools, the removal of Lincoln's body, and the irony of increased security after the assassination. They also delve into the autopsy process, highlighting the physicians' extensive experience and the challenges they faced.

 

 

 

 

 

Time-codes:

00:20 - Start of show.

01:35 - John Wilkes Booth's actions in the theater.

02:00 - Immediate response to the shooting.

02:35 - Lincoln's condition when the surgeon arrived.

03:15 - Initial confusion among the audience.

04:00 - Booth's calculated timing for the shooting.

05:30 - Surgeon realizes Lincoln's gunshot wound location.

05:55 - Limitations of medical knowledge and tools.

07:40 - Lincoln stops breathing and has dilated pupils.

08:10 - Surgeon removes clot, Lincoln breathes again.

09:20 - Difficulty transporting Lincoln to the White House.

09:55 - Physicians try to locate the lead ball in Lincoln's head.

11:30 - Attempt to drain blood and reduce intracranial pressure.

12:00 - Lincoln's death at 7:30 a.m.

13:50 - Lincoln remains unconscious throughout the ordeal.

16:40 - Removal of Lincoln's body from the boarding house.

17:15 - Absence of security and irony of increased security.

18:00 - Lincoln's tendency to dismiss security.

18:40 - Lincoln's body conveyed to White House for autopsy.

19:55 - Handsaw used to open Lincoln's skull.

21:10 - Delicate nature of dissecting the brain.

22:15 - Autopsy challenges: lack of electricity, reliance on touch.

23:00 - Physicians' extensive experience in dealing with trauma.

29:40 - Modern gunshot wound examination process.

30:30 - Role of x-rays in understanding bullet trajectories.

31:15 - Autopsy confirms nothing could have saved Lincoln.

32:55 - Limitations of 1800s medical treatments.

33:30 - John Wilkes Booth's autopsy.

34:50 - Physician's anger and resentment towards Booth.

35:30 - Booth's body relocation before returning to family.

36:05 - Outro.

 

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