The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1928-09-07
SECRETS OF
HE .TH
By LIZ. Q. ~. y. Reed

VOU have long heard Of .seaAick-
ness even train sickness,
and have suffered from the
aRonies of one Or the other. Now
I we are hearing of s.ayiation-sick
ness. z Once the late Lord Al.
Quith In speech IN the
House OF Commons, told in an
amusing way Of his experience
with such illness while flying
/ from Paris to London. Many
others have had the same expert
er1ce. analogous to sea-sickness.
without making q speech about
IT.. There il, however, q char
acter of illness that seems To be
peculiar TO air travel and that is
experienced especially BY some
aviators.
This new phase Of upsetatiVe
ness has been seriously discussed
by 50 astute an authority aa the
London Lancet. It says that In
susceptible persons the train &c
symptoms induced by aerial
travel is sometimes very serious.
There lis, therefore, q correspond
ingly serious problem for an who
are interested In the promotion
Of civil flying. When making 4
descent a pilot may be sefzsd
with emotional disturbance from
which even the strongest NAV
not be exempt. He may exper-
fence a feeling of emptiness.
thoughts and visions Of deatn.
conJured up by the rapidity Of
the fall which may be at the
rate of so, 80 or even 80 miles
per hour. When the fall begins
breathing stops for a moment
but it quickly regains its rhythn'
I'm all cases the heart then
quickens and palpitation n
creases. The aviator. yoinr
through this experience, has
sense OF construction sometimes
slight but sometimes feeling like
q burn. His hearing becomes
difficult. feelings OF fullness and
tenseness in the ear return. He
then Is liable to hear buzzinr
salvos or hammerings, suffers
neuralgia tearing pains, acute
pricking sensations, sometimes
abdominal cramps.
These disturbances get worse as
descent goes on and even con.
tinues after landing, when there
may be incoordinaSpn of move.
ment and q Whim to lump out OF
the machine. The trouble. how.
ever, goes off in u to "a hours.
Various theories are held to ac-
count for this sickness. NSome
think that 1t is due to lack Oh air
from the lowered pressure Sof
oxygen. There are others who
think It is distension from the in.
testinal gases pushing up the
d1aphgram and so interfering with
respiration. Some say that the.
rapid run down through the air
plays havoc with the air pressure
inside the delicate equilibration
centers, the so-called semi-lunar
canals, in the ear, Great cold may
predispose to severe general IA
tigue. A tired heart may result
from constantly having to adapt
itself to changes OF afr pressure.
Others think that the kidney is at
the. root Of the trouble, setting up
slight degree of poisoning. The
probabilities are that all these
factors, at times, play a part in
producing this aerial symptom
complex.
Diminished atmospheric pres
sure does not in itself produce me.
chanical effects. This is because,
the altered pressure Is trans
mitted equally in all directions
through the body tissues. which
are seml.fIuld. The airmen. how
ever, does not experience changes
NJ pressure ~ sudden ~ those To-
which, \ diver may be subjected
when the compressed air 10 re-
ioaaod too suddenly,