doctors at lincoln's bedside

[JMadonna]

I suspect that your last suggestion was correct - no one wanted to take responsibility for this rather gruesome technique that had a very high death rate.

I'll never forget the day Kennedy was shot. We were watching the TV when my brother-in-law, who was a young doctor at the time,remarked;

"I'd hate to be the intern on duty when they came in the door wheeling the president. I'd probably be hiding in the restroom."

I'll bet they all felt that way.

Yet, medically speaking the odds you quoted of surviving the procedure were higher than I would have guessed. Especially, when you're looking at a 100% certainty.