The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-06-20
Heroic Sacrifice Made By
 the Nations Young est Senator
MRS. LEA'S CONDITION
 IS MUCH IMPROVED
Stricken Wife's Condition Becomes Alarming and Senator Lea De- mands an Infusion, Faint
 ing as Operation Ends

Washington, June 1a-United States Senator Luke Lea of Tennessee. to save the life of his stricken wife. heroically sacrificed a quart of his blood at George town hospital yesterday and tonight hopes for Mrs. Lea's recovery, which had all most been abandoned, is practically as sured.
 The youngest senator of the nation lies near the bedside of his wife recuperat- | ing his strength.
 Mrs. Lea's condition, serious for some | time, became alarming Sunday after an operation the day before. Her strength. because of lack of blood, was gone and vitality was fast ebbing away. Sena- tor Lea demanded that a transfusion op- eration be performed and prepared al once to submit to the ordeal. Attend ing physicians and surgeons made ar- engagements immediately and the operation which followed is declared to have been successful
 Senator Lea withstood the operation well, though it left him so weakened that for hours he could not stand alone, but qualification over the reviving effects 1t had upon his wife was inexpresible. Surgeons assured him that without the sacrifice Mrs. Lea could have lived but few hours. It will be two or three days before Mrs. Lea Is altogether out of dan ger. At present her symptoms are fa- Vorable. 1t is expected Senator Lea will be able to leave his room in a few days.
 When the heroic effort in Mrs. Lea $ behalf became imperative and the trans fusion operation was determined upon, Senator Lea, athletic in stature, would not consent to anything but that sac rifice of his own blood to renew her van ishing strength be made. But because 1t is prime factor in transfusing oper- ations that bloods be fusible, tests were hastily ordered. Before the analysis was complete the surgeons, fearing that death might be swifter than they thought be- came alarmed at Mrs. Leas condition and decided to try the operation anyway Just as the senator's arm had been baret and tube inserted in an artery, worC came that the bloods of the husband aDs wife were fusible. The other end Of tfi tube was connected with an incision il Mrs. Leas arm and the blood began {, flow from his veins to those of his wife
 The transfuslon continued for abou an hour and half.
 The patient responded to the treatment
 
 restored to the lips and cheeks of the frail sufferer, but as Mrs. Lea's color was restored the flush faded from the cheeks of her husband. His thought was not Of himself, and when the transmission had continued for an hour and half. he im- portuned the surgeons not to arrest the operation while there was the possibility of a doubt as to the outcome in Mrs. Lea's case. But the surgeons, realizing the weakening effects of such a drain on the senator's system, eventually staunched the flow. After the operation Senator Lea fell to the floor in a faint. He was immediately placed in bed and to- night is making a splendid recovery of his strength
 Not the least favorable element in his recovery is his buoyant mental attitude in consequence of Mrs. Lea's improve Inent With the assistance of a friend he was able to walk to his wife's bedside today.