The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-06-21
DIVERS DISEASES AND PERILS
An English Navy SURGEON on suffer.
ings of Those W no Work
Under Water

The latest report OH the health of
the navy contains some important re-
marks on the accidents and disease
caused by diving operations, contrib
uted by Surgeon Henry n. Stephens,
royal navy. The diving operations in
his majesty's navy are carried out by
men who have received special train
ing in this branch at one of the three
gunnery establishments. The prin.
cipal causes of rejection are Q) to-
bacco heart, which in it's slightest
form shows itself by mutfiing of the
heart sounds and in it's more advanced
form by bruits and irregularity, etc;
(2) alcoholic subjects are rejected on
the slightest suspicion; (3) degenera-
ton of the blood vessels, as evidenced
by varicose veins, etc. Bull-necked
men are rejected if over IS years OF
age on account Of their tendency to
apopleXy and men are rejected who
suffer from nervousness, says the Lon.
don Globe.
In the novice the effects of diving
may be classed under two headings,
namely, ~ hunger, (2) sleepincss. In
the first place, the digestive functions
are stimulated by one or a combina.
ton of the following causes: (a) Ow
ing to the increased pressure of air
while diving there is probably an in
creased metabolism in the body, ma
ture calling attention to this by an in
creased appetite. 1t is proved by the
following case that the blood be.
comes hyperoXygenated by inhaling
compressed air while diving. (b) The
lightness of the mans breakfast may
also partially account for his hunger
Secondly, sleepiness which is in
duced after diving may be: (D pro-
duced by reaction after excitement;
or, (2) may be an effort of nature to
make up for increased metabolism; or
(3) the after effects of congestion OF
the blood vessels of the brain. Suffo.
cation may be caused by defective APP
paratus, injury to the air pipe, or in
sufficient knowledge of the diving ap-
paratus.
Painting or loss Of consciousness is
of frequent occurrence and, when the
diver is beginner, Is attributed to
nervousness. This Is often entirely
unknown to the diver 1.-THE loss of con-
sciouspess). The officer instructing
divers In this establishment describes
1t thus: The man is signaled and
asked if he is all right and he does not
reply. He is then signaled to come UP
and still there is no reply. Then he
is pulled up to the surface, when he
often rcgains consciousness and
strikes out to get hold of the ladder.
The man when questioned about it
says he did not notice the signals OF
that he does not remember anything
about it. The signals are good heavy
pulls on the breast rope. When
man goes under the surface of the wa
ter his body is subjected to consider
able pressure in proportion to depth,
varying from eight and a quarter
pounds to the square inch at 20 feet
depth to 65h pounds to the square
inch at $50 feet depth. In conclusion,
Surgeon Stephens recommends that
no man should go down after heavy
meal. probably two hours after light
breakfast being the best time. No
man should ascend or descend more
quickly than one foot per second in
shallow water-that is, under five
fathoms--and in deeper water one
foot in five seconds, with frequent
steppages to allow the ears to be
eased and the body to accommodate
itself to the altere,1 nresSura He
should take about IS minutes to de-
scend II fathoms, including stoppages.
No man should be allowed to stay at q
depth of Is fathoms for longer than
one hour at time without coming to
the surface.