The next thing is hard to tell.
Mr. ELY. All right. That entry is illegible.
Captain DONABEDIAN. Page 156. He was admitted to the sick list,
9-16-58, diagnosis, "urethritis acute due to gonococcus." This is No.
0303. And in handwriting----
Mr. ELY. That is my handwriting, so we will disregard that.
Captain DONABEDIAN. The chief complaint is urethral discharge. "Present
illness. Patient complains of a slight discharge and a stinging
sensation on urination. Past history--previous venereal disease.
Physical examination, essentially negative, except for thick mucco burn
discharge from the urethra. Laboratory. Smear reveals gram negative
intra- and extra-cellular diplococci having a morphology resembling
gonorrhea."
Unless they took a culture to grow the germ out, they could not
absolutely be certain.
Mr. ELY. You mentioned that under this previous history column it
mentioned "previous VD." Does that mean that Oswald had had it prior to
this time?
Captain DONABEDIAN. At another time, in his past, whenever that would
be. It could have been while he was in the service, although we didn't
notice in these records. But he could have had it before he came in the
service. VD could be any venereal disease. There are five different
kinds.
Mr. ELY. But you have not seen any reference in his medical records to
any prior case during his military career?
Captain DONABEDIAN. No; except those that we reported within those
dates.
Treatment was procaine penicillin, 900,000 units, intramuscularly for 3
days.
Now, you remember when we read the other report it looked like 400,000
units. It is most apt to be 900,000 units.
Mr. ELY. It should be noted page 156 contains typewriting rather than
handwriting as the other one did. And I believe this entry on page 156
is something of a summary.
Captain DONABEDIAN. This is a summary. He was admitted on 9-16-58, and
discharged on the same day. But they readmitted these VD cases for
statistical purposes, so we can keep track of how many people have
been in contact with this. And he was sent to duty under treatment and
observation.
Mr. ELY. Would it be fair to say, Doctor, summarizing your testimony
as to these few pages, that this looks, as far as we can tell, like a
typical case of gonorrhea?
Captain DONABEDIAN. Yes; it does.
Mr. ELY. Nothing extraordinary about it? But it certainly does seem
that he did have gonorrhea at this point?
Captain DONABEDIAN. Right.
Mr. ELY. These medical records also contain entries relating to the
gunshot wound received by Oswald in connection with the .22-caliber
pistol he had stored in his footlocker. I believe those entries are
self-explanatory. Also, in filling out his own forms on physicals,
Oswald made reference to a mastoid operation which he had had when he
was a child. This, also, I think, is something we don't have to go into
at this point.
Doctor, I will ask you, in conclusion, if you, in looking through his
medical records, have noticed anything which we have not mentioned
which seems to you extraordinary--anything over and above the normal
marine's complaints.
Captain DONABEDIAN. No; not offhand. He had a sore throat, which
many boys have in the service. He had a cold. And he had one other
infection, otitis media, in 1957.
Mr. ELY. That reference appears at page 150.
Captain DONABEDIAN. And they give him penicillin, 600,000 units, 5 days.