The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-08-22
AVIATION ILLNESS.
FsauIlr Distress That Comes to
Many Aerial NavigatOrs.
FLIERS SHOULD BE ROBUST,
They Should Also Be Young, ResoIute
and Cool Headed, With Sight and
Hearing and Nervous and Vascular
Systems Perfectly Sound.

49, ONNi 'fSaaSA1 9lSHt etfN
Hearing and Nervous and Vascular
Systems Perfectly Sound.
Those who are up into the air in fly
Ing machines as well as those who go
down to the sea in ships are troubled
by peculiar and unpleasant physiolog-
zeal disturbances which may at times
be Of grave moment. This is especial
~ true of aeroplane pilots or passen.
gers and to less degree of those who
ascend In balloons or dirigibles. The
tremendous Importance of aviation in
war lends this subject peculiar inter.
est, and Larousse Iensuel Qaris) de,
votes Il special article to the topic. The
author Dr. Laumonier, states that the
| symptoms vary according to the period
| of ascent, Of descent and of landing.
In ascending an acceleration of the
respiration and pulse are frequently
noted Mt from 1000 to 1,500 meters al.
titude, accompanied by slight head
ache located in forehead and temples
| ny NlluOuL
vomiting or nausea. At 1890 meters
there Is a diminution In the keenness
] OF hearing; at times there are halluci-
nations and finally an ''asthenic" con
dition which prevents the muscles from
obeying the will with adequate rapid.
ity.
On descending the palpitations of
the heart become violent and are &C.
conpanied by n sensation OF anguish,
the headache is intense, the aviator
has an increasing sensation OF heat Of
the skin, especially of the face, and q,
desire to sleep, which is sometimes 50
strong that the eyes involuntarily close
as he approaches the earth. In spite of
imminent peril.
| Strange to say, on landing these trou.
bles are augmented. Besides the head
ache and the somnolence, hyperemia of
the conductive (conjunctives) is OBJ,
served, with cyanosis of the eytreml-
ties. accelefation OF the pulse and con-
slant increase of arterial pressure. The
aviator often falls asleep rs soon MS lie
lands. and this sleep Is troubled and
nonrefreshing, while the headache may
persist for many hours or even several
days.
The ascent symptoms recall those Of
mountain sickness" but are produced
at IL less altitude, because Of the nerv-'
Gus tension, the cold and above all the
! relative rapidly of ascension. But
what distinguishes aviators'' sickness
from mountain sickness Is that the
symptoms persist during descent and
are aggravated after landing. There
are besides vasomotor reactions win
Apprehension which are peculiar to
: this malady and give 1t. according to
Cruchet aud Mouinier a sort of noso-
graphic autonomy. However, these
troubles ere not felt with the same In.
tensity b. all aviators. Some find they
diminish with experience, MS in the
case of heaslckness. 1t appears to be
> trle that their intensity depends prin.
!. cipally on the rapidity of the descent.
The causes TO which are ascribed
\ these symptoms include cold and phys
. teal, nervous and moral fatigue. While
o cold may provoke the imperlous need
!. Of sleep. 1t cannot be the sole cause.
Z since she somnolence increases on de-
scendlng into warmer air and after
n landing. Analogous objections nre
Q made to fatigue rs cause.
d The most important of the determin
o Ing causes. according to the authorities
s quoted above, Is speed, not horizontal
l. but vertical speed. which causes rapid
l. decomposition and decomposition in
h ascending and descending. At Pau
Legagneux assembled 10 $500 meters
y In twenty.eight minutes, whereas II
II would have taken an Alplnist clever
u hours to ascend the same distance or
foot. At Varenne-sur-Allier Vedrines
descended In three minutes from .
height of 5000 meters. The difference
:, OF gaseous tension is too great for thu
4, organism 10 regain its equilibrium II
/, so short time.
"a Since these symptoms are NOT morbid
.. they disappear naturally In few hour,
or at most a few days. their cessation
IF being favored by rest. sleep and moder
lie ate warmth. Nevertheless they arc o
i. grave Importance because OF the dan
ct gers to which they expose aviators.
ID Hence 1t is highly advisable tina
n, 1iers should be young. robust. resolut,
IS and cool headed men, with sight. hear
n. ing. nervous and vascular systems per
N fectly sound. And there should b
IT. rigorous elimination of candidates VIII
N have tendency to heart trouble, cpl
lepsy, tuberculosis, hardening VI az
teries, nervous troubles, etc The
~ should have methodical and progress
:, slve training. n diet nourlshing, bu
u not bulky, and us little fcrmentable II
~ possible. They must abstain from a
- cohol and not abuse tea or coffee.
"a The clothing must he very warm, bu
not heavy enough to restrict movement
NO The wearing Of goggles, putting cotto
ne In tho nostrils and greasing face an
m. hands will be sufficient protcctio
H; against cold. Finally they are advise
at TO mount as slowly ns possible aud {
n descend even more slowly.
IL