The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-19
now TO PREVENT sEAsIoKSKsA
Look at Distant objects or Bsndaee the
Eyes. IN English Investigator Says.


quently. DR.. Orally Hewitt, n professor in UNI
versity College. has concluded and reported
that nm attack OF seasicknoss in his case can
be prevented by fixing tho eyes on some OBJ
jcct away from tho vessel. or by completely
and continuously closing the eyes. and. for the
time. nbolishing the exercise OF sense and
vision. and hc has suggested that persons who
are subject to seasickness would he wise to
try the experiment. He admits that In any
general theory OF the cause OF seasickness tho
usual disturbance theory cannot play
| an exclusive part although 1t may
occupy very prominent part, lie MAS
induced to look into tho subject by an obsers
walton Of the singular effect OF wardrobe
door mirror that moved slightly all the time
he was brushing his hair in front OF it. The
sensations perceived were those OF onoominG
seasickness. but tho cause was not apparent
Immediately. After a while the thought struck
him that the waverng images Of himself and
the objects near by caused tho quamy sensa.
tons. He was sure that he was not shaking.
and he examined tho door closely. 1t was
hung SO delcately that tho slightest jar near
| 1t caused 1t to move. With that thought In
mind no began experiments on what he calls
the production OF an imitation OF seasickness
| by complex visual disturbances.
He suspended q mirror feet by AZ feet In
a frame so that It could be moved easily in
in n chair five feet from it In some cases feel-
ing OF glddnoss ensued whom the mirror was
osctllated from side to side for quarter Of an
hour. The same clfoct resulted whom 1t was
oscillated ut tho top and bottom. more Of.
fective oscillation was produced by suspend.
ing the mirror by cords ut two opposite obliQue
corners, SO that it could be oscllated in it's
! obli1ue axis. Giddincss was tho principal
effect produced. The Professor cites as curl
a pfT on fwp urt,n Mt yhn ~
| tho franc and suspended the mirror They
| did not know the purpose OF tho apparatus,
but they said that they felt queer at tho
stomach when they moved about In front OF
the mirror. Tho experiments were satisfnc-
tory. but later the professor thought Of placing
the subject experimental on in q swing oppo-
site the oscillating mirror and more COM
p!etcly initiating the condition OF things en-
countered Mt sea by moving the body Of the
individual as well us the mirror
The mirror was suspended almost vertically
by cords at the upper right-hand and lower
left.hand corners. and was osclated by u cord
at the lower right-hand corner. The frame
and edges of the mirror were hidden by cur
tain of q dark material, and the curtain was
was unable to SEQ tho sides of the room or any
fixed object. Tho swinging platform. with a
puiieys.. 1t was possible to move the platform
up nn Tn down. from side to side. and backward
anu FORWARD, or To combine the motions. The
81 bject was about five feet from the mirror.
The oscillation was timed to correspond with
the movement Of Ne platform, The, platform
| OF foot. and lowered and raised alternately
about six INCHES ut tho two ends
The periods of observation varied In the
first case the uncomt Portable feeling Of the SUBJ
ject was, 30 intense in less than ten minutes
swing. He was very white at the lips. and the
G1ystandfrs that his condition Wa.
i'll at T IL the esnH 81
illness ness remained for several minutes after the
that he was not usually made seasick until
ne had been on vessel for some time
ShG n sSs sWns
about minute only. because he feit
fS% M not y Mss
had a sensation OF Giddlness after trial ola
utes. ne summing up Of TWENTY-FIVE obser.
vatons was that in subjects that were good
served: In those who were in the habit Of
within ten minutes or Il quarter Of an hour.
tho ,;a swing ana the mirror being in motion
Tho first. discomfort felt was. in some
eases Eases GlIiineITs; in some fitness Of the
ing followed quickly by rising OF tho throat,
catching of the throat u feeling Of sickness.
nounccd: In some cases the mirror disturb
ance. without tn" swing action. was. sufficient
ness. but as u rule. the effect PRODUCED was In
aTesf t. the e2prsxy Of the Wis
cases the act o, swnsns in an at oTd so
t swing e. produces feeling of nausea. and
cannot be in rapidly descending ' e he1sSs
without ut having sensations Of nausea. The
eye turing the downward motion OF u swing
r"rson has ol less S., diSaGreoahle sensations.
Is no, the sole cause OF the sickness. The
conc si"n is that when an individual is SUBJ
the movement OF tho body IS. Ly ITSELF not
operatiNcIor necessarily So at al events-in
tn" body Increases the liability to sickness.
because tSS use it introduces further and more COM
The pnrulleiism between the action of the
apparatus and tho action of the Influences
IN description Il the "i"t IN az person ern1 str
ting on deck with hic inre toward the bows
t and %rth n3hi III yho to 'G eyes except
vessel iltrhe'l ant tossed and rolled. and the
disturbance. The motion uf an individual va
ricS arc",'l ing 10 the places h" occupies on the
tc st Of 1t. .t2" nSnE Ittsnps and
Platform. ran he modified " movements Of
the trunk Of th" body;
mcnts Is tla, III" professor asserts that the
sensation # sea-" kn.ss IN 3onrI vessel can
jects away from the YES sci and therefore com
paratiycy fixed. liz" clouds, n" horizon. the
slloTe. or u bI-@lhH V ''Stl, without any part IT
the vessel Intervening. The bnn.iit 81 the Ak
alton 81 the eyes ON distant objects In not
known worry extensively. although some OK
treme sufferers have rnrn.ni2cL il ~ Il valun-
bite resource Formri rate y susceptible cases
that method ~ preventing sckncss has an.
swcred Extremely we'll Apo.h"r method Of
preventing ,"asr!incs- is tho conn etc ahol-
ishmcut ~ vision Tor the timn bcing by ban
dnGing the cyHs, The bnndaGe should DO Hp-
Piled nrGor' starting on, III VOYAGE. Tie
method answers extremely well. ii is said. in
e." mA,"rIty 81 rasIS' Ihc patient should
the horizontal position. which Is an old
rcmedy aIthnush il is known that in several
casrs ban nGl'. IN" GEES without lying down
point raise! n-ai'st that nethnh Il. that blind
persons az" Affected by scasickncss some
times. the clrrt being caused by something
besides "a" visual Impressions that affect
others. lro variations Of physique and
temperament arc very dlTcront. n nd the liabil-
ity 70 seasicEnosc varies but II is probable tho
professor say. that IN the majority OF cases
Of rc.son~ who arc iai 10 tho prevention Of