The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-06-26
TELLS or GIVING
BLOOD.TO HIS Wifi
Senator Lea Conscious All the
Time Of Painful
Operation.
HAPPY N IT'S RESULTS
Forgot His Pain in Thinking OF
Suffering Woman at
His Side.
'PY IN ITS RESULTS
HAPPY

II Washington, June Ex-senator Luke
Lea, of Tennessee. whose heroic action
in giving more than quart of his
blood to save the life Of his wife has
won for him universal admiration.
yesterday had so far recovered that
he was able to resume his senatorial
duties. For the first time he told OF
the details of the ordeal through which
he passed last Sunday while his blood
was being transfused with that of his
vile The Senator last night declared
that Mrs. Lea is Well on the road to
recovery, and that she is reasonably
certain of regainlng her strength
Friday night the stitches in Senator
Lea's arm. where the long incision was
! made. were removed The pain of this
second operation weakened the Sena-
TOT Tor q short time. but Immediately
(, afterward he said that the removal OF
(: the stitches had greatly relieved the
pain. and that he suffered only slight
~ When he took his place on the
Lorimer Investigating committee YES
] terday only the paleness Of his face
ana enc 6andages showing below his
! cuff evidenced the operation through
which he had passed
! Snys He Is No Hero.
! senator Lea was reluctant TO dis
cuss the operation. To the many SEN
ators. Representatives. and other ntib
I
/. the operation. he displayed the utmost
modesty disclaiming any right TO nm
que credit for what all termed great
/ herolsm He has shown the same atti-
tude toward all the nurses sisters
and physicians at the Georgetown Uni
Versity Hospital. where the operation
was performed. To ali of the peonle
the tall. young Tennessee Senator and
ms beautiful wife have become idols.
| ne operation was, of course pa In :
iul and Tor time made me Ill, but in
comparison with its results on Mrs.
Lea the discomfort and pain to me
amounted to absolutely nothing" the
| senator said. 1t was just such n sacri-
| nee as every husband is more than
willing to make. Mrs. Lea is recov-
ering, and SO my pain is forgotten"
conscious Through Operation
II was from Senator Lea that the
TACT was learned for the first time
mat all during the operation, while
mis- life's blood was slowly passing
INTO r AIRS. Leas body, he was conscious
ne was also conscious while the
stitches were being removed Friday
night Ills fortitudc In face or the
extreme pain, which II is known ne
must have suffered. in spite OF his as
sertfons TO the contrary. Is still being
( commented on by physicians and
! nurses at the hospital.
| Just before the surgeons starto6 ~
| operate upon Senator LEAFS flesh thcv
injected cocaine into his arm. Mrs.
Lea's condition suddenly grow 90
| alarming That the Senator insisted that
theY go ahead while he was conscious.
inc physicians declared. He lay QUIET
| and watched the operation. After
the operation had been started. they
feared to make another Injection.
realizing that the cocaine would only
| make the wound burn the more.
] senator Lea was placed on a cot
next to the one occupied by his wife
/ When the operation was started. An
incision about four inches long was
| mace IN MS wrist and the main artery
was exposed. This artery Is the ono
by which the beat of the pulse is told.
IN the meantime a small vein far
Up In Mrs. Lea's arm had been made
ready for receiving the blood A small
! vein was chosen SO that the force of
her blood would not be so strong
TO TO prevent the Senator's blood from
| fiowing into her veins nm
| When all was In readiness the Sen
ator's artery was severed The end
| OF the artery nearest his heart was
connected with a long tube, which had
| already been attached to Mrs. Lea g
veins.
Then began the long ordeal, during
which the blood of the strong man
l
man whose life he was trying to save.
Slowly the healthy glow on the face
or senator Lea grew fainter and faint
| err but he was rewarded for his grow
Ing weakness by seeing color slowly
come into the pale lips ana checks OF
! Mrs. Lea.
while my blood was running out
| grew weak, of course" the Senator
| said last night. But my thoughts were
occupied with other things, and
! hardly noticed my own feelings at all.
1 knew that could stand 1t and get
| We'll again. / was on the cot from 2.S0
| o'clock In the afternoon until after
o'clock, but the actual TRANSMISSION
| of blood lasted only about an hour and
| half The rest Of the time was
taken up in sewing up the bandages. %
| The operation was continued until
the pulse OF both the Senator and his
! Wife was the same. When the opcr-
alton was started Senator Lea's pulls.
| was 20, and his wife's was 1870. 1t was
continued until the pulse of both was
about $50. In the interval about n
! quart Of the Senator's blood went into
| Mrs Leas veins.
The surgeons tell me that the
/ artery which was severed will never
work again." Senator Lea smilingly
| remarked, but I reckon l can get
! along without 1t. t seems that 1t was
DESTROYED by the operation. But they
j toll me | have appetizer artery in the
same arm which will supply SUFFICIENT
| blood to the hand This extra artery
must be supplied for just such an
emergency, as the surgeons tell me my
| hand will be Just as strong as ever
! ~ first 1t was feared that Mrs. Lea
would not survive. Her recovery has
been steady though slow. The SEN
ator has kept close watch on the
hospital chart showing her pulse and
! Temperature.
| Mr. and Mrs. Warner, father and
mother of Mrs. Lea. have been with
her almost constantly. Mrs. Warner
arrived In Washington few minutes
! before the operation was performed,
put Mr.. Warner did not get hero until
last Monday. They have been taking
turns watching over their daughter
and Senator Lea. other relatives OF
Mrs. Lea and the Senator's secretary