The Iron Lung was used by its first patient, a young girl at the Children's Hospital in Boston. It was an artificial respirator that enabled her to breathe despite being paralyzed by polio. This negative pressure ventilator, invented by a young Harvard doctor, Philip Drinker, was the first widely used device of its kind. From the neck down, the patient's body lay in a sealed galvanized iron box. The 3 x 7 ft, 700-lb apparatus was powered by two household vacuum cleaners. As air was pumped out of the metal box, the patient's lungs drew in air, which was expelled as the air pump cycle next increased pressure, in a cycle to mimic a normal breathing rate.

Some figures this week released by the Social Security administration give some interesting figures for current and projected incomes and taxes . Current Average Worker earns $10,500 per year 1990 Average Worker Projected to earn $22,700 per year ( Actual was $28,960 ) 2000 Average Worker Projected to earn $40,000 per year ( Actual was $40,344 ) 2010 Average Worker Projected to earn $70,000 per year 2025 Average Worker Projected to earn $162,000 per year 2050 Average Worker Projected to earn $656,000 per year