Imperial Valley press., 1927-03-10
RICK is
SLIGHTLY
IMPROVED
Grim Battle to Save
Stricken Youth May
Be Successful.
GETS SHORT SLEEP
Comrades Work to Keep
Spark of Life Alive
During Night.
BY MAX BUCKINGHAM
United Press Staff Correspondent

EVANSTON, H., March 10. =
Man S fight to beat back the death
that threatens Alfred Frick, who is
suffering from paralysis, was gain
ing slightly as the 95th hour of the
scientific battle was passed today.
"The paralysis Of the palate is
slightly receding, giving a faint ray
of hope,' DR.. Charles +. Read,
nerve specialist, announced at 9:15
q. m.
There has been no recession of
the, paralysis which grips the mus
cles of Frick' s diaphram-making
breathing impossible and necessitat-
ing artificial respiration by 81 of
Frick s comrades - but the doctors
are hopeful there will be relief
within the next 10 hours
1--WE hope that the receding of
the paralysis of the palate will
continue to the diaphram,' Dir.
Read said.
Shortly after 9 a. M, when 4
'break' in the grip of the paraly
sis was announced by DR.. Charles
+. Read, there was a muffled cheer
among those waiting in the corri-
dors outside Frick s room. n
Pray God he can rally and get
WELL" the boys father, H. c. Frick
said.
The father is almost in constant
attention, either in the sick room or
waiting outside.
Freddy's got the stuff and
We'll pull him through, =" one of
Frick's omrades-whose arms are
bandaged and slightly swollen
through the hours of resuscitation
work-assured the father. Most of
the men waiting in the ante room
for their "turns'' nodded in affir-
nation of this thought.
At l0:0S a. m. Frick went into a
natural sleep-the first since pa
ralysis set in Sunday-and this was
considered a "good sign" by his
doctors.
The battle to save the life of the
young salesman who became paraly-
zed last Sunday, thrills onlookers in
its every stage
work In Relays
In an ante room just off the bare
little room where the patient sits
strapped up at As degree angle,
the 81 volunteer workmen await
their turn. They laugh, smoke, play
cards, chat of work-aday matters,
but always watch the clock. Then
one speaks:
"Three minutes now, you, Terry
and Ed, this is your shift
The two men rise, feel the
bandages around their right arms,
then walk into the room where
Frick is making his fight against
death, Without touching the bed
on which the patient rests, the two
men slide their hands over those of
the men they are relieving, and
without lost moion start their Is
minutes of work to provide Frick
with artificial respiration.
Now and then Frick eyes the
newcomers with some sign of recog-
milton but for the most part he lies
with his eyes half closed, paying lit
tie attention to the work going on
about him.
Occasionally the workers use both
their hands in a webb chain over
Frick s chest in order to provide
him with a little longer intake of
air. Occasionally the patient must
cough.
Now harder fellows" he will
murmur.
The two workers give three or
four fairly heavy shoVes, thus enab-
ling the patient to cough slightly.
Since Sunday, when an infection
caused Frick to become i'll and sub
seouently to lose control of his body
and his diaphram, this same pro
gram has been going on.
Once last night it appeared the
battle had been lost. Shortly be-
fore II p. m. the patient S flesh
turned blue, a cyanotic condition
indicating poor circulation, Doctors
administered morphine, which
brought on sleep.
Despite the tenseneSs of the mo-
ment there was not change in the
steady pumping of his chest. Within
an hour a rally set in and doctors
said the crisis had passed.