[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 47 (Thursday, April 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. HENRY J. HEIMLICH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. ROB PORTMAN

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 12, 2000

  Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to Dr. Henry J. 
Heimlich, a community hero, an internationally recognized leader in 
health care, and a dear friend who will be honored on April 20 by the 
Rotary Club of Cincinnati. This recognition will come during National 
Heimlich Maneuver Week. He was selected for these honors because of his 
outstanding contributions to the medical community that have literally 
saved thousands of lives.
  In fact, Dr. Heimlich has been credited with saving more lives than 
any other living person. Dr. Heimlich's most notable accomplishment, of 
course, is the Heimlich Maneuver, which he created in 1974. Since its 
creation, the Heimlich Maneuver has been used to save the lives of 
countless people from choking deaths, to prevent and halt asthma 
attacks, and to clear near-drowning victims' water-filled lungs more 
safely.
  Perhaps lesser known is the Heimlich Operation, which is considered 
the first successful organ transplant in history. This operation 
enables patients with an esophagus birth defect, who previously only 
could be fed through a tube inserted into their stomachs, to eat 
normally.
  Dr. Heimlich also invented the Heimlich Micro Trach, a tiny tube that 
is inserted into the trachea to deliver oxygen from a small tank 
directly to the lungs, enabling oxygen-dependent patients to become 
mobile and return to work and social activities.
  Dr. Heimlich's Chest Drain Valve is credited with saving the lives of 
thousands of American soldiers during the Vietnam War. It is used in 
emergency treatment of people with chest wounds to clear air and fluids 
from the chest cavity. Up to a quarter million of these valves are used 
worldwide every year in civilian and military medicine.
  Although he has already achieved much, Dr. Heimlich is still working 
to save lives. He continues development of malariotherapy, which, 
through a curable form of malaria, increases the body's immune 
responses to fight viruses and cancer by increasing production of such 
biochemicals as interferon, interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor. 
Dr. Heimlich believes that malariotherapy can be used, with more 
research, to fight cancer, AIDS, and Lyme disease.
  At the age of 80, Dr. Heimlich continues his important work at the 
Heimlich Institute where new ways to improve and save lives are being 
researched. All of us in Cincinnati are grateful to him for his full 
devotion, service, and most impressive contributions to our community 
and the world.

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