The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-07
HI CAISSON DISEASE.
A MILADY PEOULIAR TO MEN
WORKING IN COMPRESSED AIR.

Suffering. Endured by the Men who Get the
bends. the Least dangerous Form OF tho
Di-esso-Enects OF Changes from Normal
Atmosphere TO Compressed Air-Precsutions.
II has been said that n man never appre-
e,Ates tho joys Of working until he has worked
I'm a pns. matte caissea. It was once and per-
bap, Is now q fsvorite experiment In the
classes in physiology In . high school TO place
a mouse In q glass vessel and gradually to
forcs In oxygen. A change would be seen i'm
msdiatsly. The mons. would grow restless
and run around In o crazy manner. When
the air In tho vessel was composed OF an un-
cue proportion OF oxygen the mouse would
race madly about until finally. II left long
enough. 1t would sink down exhausted and die.
similar TO this. although less perccptlble, 10
the effect o. compressed air upon mon work.
ing far below the surface Of the ground In .
cnisson. Those who have had experience say
that after tae first few minutes n feeling Of
intense cxhilaration came on them. q feeling
o. physical power and desire to do something.
Asis we'll known to those who have 70 do
with caisrons. q man working In compressed
air does double the amount Of work he would
accomplish outdoors. and this, too, In q tem-
~peraturc that often rises TO 100 degrees. Tho
extra amount OF oxygen he takes Into his
lunvs is 50 exhllaratine that the LATEST man
becomes a model workman.
But the case OF q man working in compressed
air differs from that Of the mouse In tho jar In
that he is rarely killed. aud that he feels no
uncomfortable effects II proper caution Is ex-
srciseI. Owing to the fact that few OF the men
who work In caissons 10 exercise PROPER care
aid caution. they are often afflicted with an
intensely painful and sometimes mortal illness.
when .has.ceme to DO known as the ''caisson
disease" During the last two years the pa
,hoiosy OF compressed air has occupied the
attention OF many medical men and consider.
s1'S y . n~r ~. o,tsn,,on
disease especially has ehsrossed the attention
Of many n.y., anu "as some ins', re- Tss a, nom erie nave n y,
sst..ons nov.d.rs mo-, o,,r In hr,,5,no ,nrn.
taissohs howAusSs not oni' u ouinu'"a iouh'
,Ions OF great bulldinp,. ha. given unusual
~.
4 calsson 4, nothing but a huge inverted
box Of timbe. or OF steel. Its dimensions vary.
The interior OF the box. or ~cai..on. ia called
the working chamber. The top Is called the
does. ms IS Oh s,eA' 'hicknes,. the neoks OF
the brooAiSh bridge cai'sohs oeihs twenty
two feet thick. The sides OF the caissons are
called the cutting eiHes' or sao"a. Mheh IL
Is necessary TO go dom below the water line TO
into use. An excavation IS made to the wafer
line usually, and tho caisson is set on the
ground with tho edges down; Then II Is hiisd
With compressed al. the object being to held
back the water from tho chambers so that
men may work below the surface OF The water.
pipe coming from the compressors. and a pres
sure g maintained equal 70 or q little more
APPROXIMATELY, one pound of, air pressure
feet Of water. Access to the working chamber
Is Obtained by means OF . long steel tube.
ed with an, air lock. operated on q principle
.tnN. - Nn that nAAh 4 ~ fhA nj nEht-
nary canal locks. Near. the top OF the tube is
u floor In which 10 . trap door: seven or eight
lar trap door. One OF these doors Is AWAY.
ken. open. Whsn the lock Is IN. the lower
door is oDen and the PRESSURE 10 the same as In
4 ous, tn" upper door Is open. and the pressure
is that OF the atmosphere. whens man is
top trap door and opens suddenly a valve in the
bottom. door TO get en- ,ugh pressure In the lock
to hold the TOP door shut. Then the valve in
the lower trap is closed again and opened little
BY little. Ia order that the pressure IN the
chamber may become the same as that below.
When one leaves the caisson the operation is
rcysrsed.
When ~ 4: srs:sals b.. f 9.sa .p = sspp sfs
men enter the WORKING chamber and begin 70
s sn. b, ,rrihe na, The I material taken n,o EutS; II
tunt that goes through the deck OF the cAisson
II the maIsriai Is coarse; IL 10 ho'sted In buck.
cts through a steel shaft A. the top OF which
Is an exraVatine lock similar In principie 70
the man lock. the material Is sxcavated the
eaisson SINKS, and brick. "oncrete. or stone
work Is QUIT on the caisson deck as the SINK
ihs proceeds lhe csisson. OF course. Is heaSily
oraceu whcre tlmo~r walls are used. Inc
process goes on untii the caisson reaches the
Iock nr oth.r soilu, ana theh the WORKING
ehanoer Is niled WIFE concrete. Finally the
sharts rhu tuoee are nIIed. ana mus q Solo col,
9mn OF masonry Is procured from the solid
io1hdation TO q point ABOVE the water lire
Ahlotg the men VINO 40 the caisson Work De
syrlued are iouhd the VICTIMS OF the caisson
disease. Inc forms OF TINS olsease arc varied
anu Ior a long time attsr calssons came into
use medical authorltles. althoush attrioutlnx
" IN General 10 tho euects u com Dressed air.
were unable 70 trace exactly us causes. and "
has pee Only within compAratively recent
Years thAt they nave soiVeu the problem 70
'hgit own satlsiacti3n'
ne most hotlceaoie th'nk ABOUT q man VINO
has lust oeen exposed 70 compressed ayr 10 MS
aeathiy pai,or. HIS lace appears absolutely
otood!ess. ms Is because tho pressure OF the
All ur'ses the oio9u rom the surIace 70 the III
rio. ptopa vessels. those Interior 1Iood YES.
80 Whleh hro euIrounueu uy sot Tissue arc
suulecteu 10 an eNu-rl9r pressure from the air:
y Ntta as 70 an INFERIOR pressure OF tho biood
o,vtu lhto .h.th' and. the pressure 6elpg thus
sSuanasd' tnei remain coaiparativeIy UNI
Snsnsea. nut WIN sne vesseis lhcloseu IN q
- st.deture IL uIHerehCI heec are NOT SUD
leu 70 inc eauallZihg exterior pressure as