Iron lung

The iron lung was a medical device used to help people breathe who could not breathe on their own. It was invented in 1928 by Philip Drinker and Louis Agassiz Shaw, and it was used extensively in the 1950s and 1960s to treat patients with polio.
The iron lung worked by creating a negative pressure in the chest, which pulled air into the lungs. The patient's head and neck were outside of the iron lung, and the rest of their body was enclosed in a metal tank. The tank was sealed around the patient's neck, and a pump was used to create the negative pressure.
The iron lung was a life-saving device for many people, but it was also very uncomfortable. Patients had to remain in the iron lung for hours or even days at a time, and they could not move around or eat or drink.
In the 1960s, the iron lung was replaced by the positive pressure ventilator, which was more comfortable and effective. Today, positive pressure ventilators are used to treat patients who cannot breathe on their own, and the iron lung is only used in a few hospitals as a last resort.
The iron lung was a remarkable invention that saved the lives of many people. It is a testament to the ingenuity and dedication of the doctors and engineers who developed it.
In the 1950s, my grandfather was paralyzed from the neck down by polio. He was placed in an iron lung, and he lived in the iron lung for the rest of his life.
I remember visiting my grandfather in the hospital. I was only a child, but I was fascinated by the iron lung. I would watch my grandfather breathe, and I would wonder how he could live in such a small space.
My grandfather was a strong man, and he never complained. He was always cheerful and upbeat, and he always had a smile on his face. He was an inspiration to me, and he taught me the value of perseverance.
My grandfather died in 1967, when I was 12 years old. I miss him every day, but I am grateful for the time that I had with him. He was a wonderful man, and he will always be my hero.