Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-26


to dazzle the aviator. This phenome-
non is especially annoying where there
are eddies Of air and may seriously
interfere with steering the machine.
Even skilled aviatOrs suffer from a
slight headache encircling the temples al
about $500 feet, while novices feel it
sooner.
Cold becomes painful at about 1000 feet.
Above 5000 feet. or even, lower. the vol
untary motions tend to become more
nervous and jerky and the reflex motions
have more amplitude These motor modi-
fications are easily explained by the COM
bined effect of the cold. the quicker heart
beat. the slight shortness of breath, the
ear troubles. the reflection Of the sun and
the nervous tension and fatigue
In descent the heart beats more strong
ly. but the palptations which are soon
felt augment according to the precipi-
tousness of the descent
The rapid fall-Over thousand feet
per minute-causes that peculiar feeling
of emptiness experienced in too swiftly
descending elevator There is a buzzing
of the ears toward the end. and this may
increase in intensity at the end of the
flight.
But the phenomena which are dominant
and augmented as the ground draws
near are the redness of the face. with a
sensation Of heat and pain: the smartine
Of the eyes moisture Of the nostrils,
headache and overwhelming fatigue, with
actual drowsiness. This sleepiness is a
very marked feature and in itself indi-
Gates the enormous strain to which the
aeroplanist has been subjected and the
resultant fatigue of nerve centers. 1t is
so great that the eyes close of themselves
from moment to moment in spite of the
strongest desire to keep them open. In
one case searching party was sent out
for a young aviator who had failed to re-
in the open country. sound asleep. When
awakened he found it impossible to re-
member how he had arrived at the place
where found.
Headache and Sleepiness Last
On landing the motions are slow. lazy
and awkward, In contrast to the native
subject. Respirat ton tends to become nor
NAL very soon. but the headache and
sleepiness may last several hours, as does
the disturbance of the circulation. The
latter is marked by apprehension of the
arteries, with cyanos;s of the extremities
and blueness of the fingers. This aug
mentatfon of pressure in the arteries is
confined to those who descend from great
heights: it is somewhat less marked when
there Is excessive fatigue, but in this Cas-
palpitation of the heart and rapid pulse
are noted. This condition might be dam
gerous when the subject had heavy brain
labor to do
Obviously all altitude seekers should
have the condition Of the heart and ar
teries often tested.
Our review Of this subject would be in
complete without reference to the PSYCHE
cal factor. This, of course, varies with
the individuality, but some of the most
expert men have confessed to curious in
tellectual and emotional affections
Morane spoke of q sort of anguish
caused in part by the feeling Of intense
solitude. Another man noted for his sang
froid and his virile energy said that in
the downward flight feelings of wretched-
the thought of dreadful death presents
itself and Is the more terrible because
Of the sem-torpor of mind and body.
This mental and physical lethargy is
spoken Of by various aviators as pre-
venting their performing as rapidly as is
necessary the required mechanical acts
which upholds our argument that many
accidents are probably due to the mental
state supeinduced by prolonged effort
under unaccustomed conditions
Renaux confessed that he was haunted
by the thought of Chavez, achieving an
immortal victory with frightful death.
Chavez's fatal accident indeed supports
our contention. In crossing the Alps he
rose very swiftly to q great altitude, from
which he descended in a long, rapid
glide. The quick checking Of this glide
by a sudden pull on the control wheel is
thought to have thrown such q strain on
the wings that one of them broke off, 1t
is highly probable that Chavez's mistake
was due to. the condition he was in, q
have been considering, of the modified
vaso-motor reaction. the apprehension o.
the arteries, headache. vertigo and SOM
nolence There even may have been some
mental confusion or hallucination. One
aviator has. In fact made the remark