Christian C. Nielsen took solid food Friday, averting a court order to force-feed him, law enforcement officials said.

Nielsen had dropped so much weight recently that a Cumberland County Superior Court judge ordered Thursday that Nielsen be fed through a tube, if necessary.

A psychologist picked by Nielsen’s family visited the inmate and explained the court order to him.

Nielsen is awaiting trial on murder charges in connection to the slayings of four people in Newry and Upton last year.

On Friday, Nielsen was “a little more cooperative in consuming semi-solid food,” according to a written release by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Mark Dion said Friday that Nielsen ate a little bit of ice cream and chopped-up waffle. “It’s a start,” Dion said.

Nielsen also has taken more fluids and stopped an “excessive exercise regimen.” He had reportedly been exercising frequently, contributing to a weight loss that had started breaking down muscle. The 6-foot prisoner had dropped from 158 pounds when he was admitted at the Cumberland County Jail in September 2006 to 105 pounds, roughly one-third of his body mass, according to his defense attorney, Ron. E. Hoffman.

The jail’s medical service is “closely monitoring” Nielsen’s condition by checking his blood to determine whether he is continuing to “cannibalize” himself, Dion said.

“We’ll take it day by day,” he said.

“Because of his cooperation with increasing his food intake and exercising less, it has not been necessary at this time to act upon the court order,” the sheriff’s written release said.

Dion had entered the request in court earlier this week. The judge’s order allowed Dion to “carry out all medical procedures deemed necessary to preserve Christian Nielsen’s life and physical well-being.” The list of procedures included intravenous injections and feeding tubes.

Cumberland County Superior Court Justice Robert E. Crowley also ordered Nielsen to undergo a mental health examination at the state’s Riverview Psychiatric Center in Augusta.

Nielsen was transferred to the Cumberland County Jail last year after attacking an inmate at Oxford County Jail.

If Nielsen becomes physically fit enough to be transported to Augusta, the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office would take him to Riverview, Dion said. Once there, the cost of Nielsen’s care and lodgings would be covered by the state, Dion said.

Cumberland County is expected to foot the bill for his stay and medical services at the Portland jail, Dion said. He said he talked to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners about drafting a memorandum of understanding for future inmate swaps where, should “exceptional medical care” become necessary, the inmate’s home county would cover the cost.

Dion said Nielsen’s medical care could become expensive were he to be hospitalized, something that hasn’t been necessary.