Fred Snite, Jr., Headlined as the “Iron Lung Boy” Who Attended a Wedding

Long before he was paralyzed by poliomyelitis, Frederick Bernard Snite, Jr. (1910 to 1954) shared childhood adventures with Joseph Murray (left) and Mary Grass. Much later, as a 26-yr-old tourist to China in 1936, “Fred” was stricken with infantile paralysis. Fortunately, his financier father could marshal resources to save Fred Jr. with an assortment of “iron lung” and other ventilatory assistance devices. After visiting the Shrine of Miracles in 1939 in Lourdes, France, for spiritual inspiration, Fr ed Jr. witnessed the wedding of Joseph and Mary, his two childhood friends, by using the swiveling rectangular mirror of the iron lung. After a toast to the newlyweds by “the Boiler Kid,” as Fred dubbed himself, the bride planted a kiss on her courageous Guest of Honor. (Copyright © the America n Society of Anesthesiologists’ Wood Library-Museum of Anesthesiology.)
Source: Anesthesiology - Category: Anesthesiology Source Type: research