Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-07
Ma|ady Discovered
That Makes Flyers
Unfit for Battle
Navy Doctors Seeking
Remedy for Sky Bends,
Shakespeare Peril
(Second OF a Series.)
By THOMAS HENRY.

BY THOMAS HENRY.
A new war nalady, sky bends. re-
ported for the first time in the pres
ent European conflict, is being
studied by officers of the United
States Navy Medical Corps.
Known technically as aeroembol-
ism. it is the first abnormal condi-
ton peculiar to the latest realm
conquered by mantle strato-
sphere. 1t is essentially the bends
of deep sea divers and sandhogs in
reverse, but with some symptoms
not hitherto observed. 1t attacks
flyers at attitudes of about $4,000
feet. where the stratosphere begins.
Some men may be affected at much
lower attitudes. The height OF
average susceptibility is one thing
the Navy wants to determine.
During this war for the first time
military flyers have remained for
long periods in the stratosphere and
sky bends may have been the cause
Of defeats in battle. The condition
Is likely to become of general medi-
cal importance when stratosphere
passenger services are inaugurated.
as is likely to be the case after the
present. conflict.
1t has long been known that
when divers are brought up rapidly
from depths where the pressure of
water around their bodies is about
Tin, lo IF O OF tho
surface bubbles of the heavy gas
nitrogen, the chief constituent OF
the atmosphere they breathe. form
In their blood streams. If the ascent
Is very gradual, with slowly diminish
ing pressure, these bubbles break up
normally. Otherwise the men suffer
almost uncomfortable pain and the
condition is likely to prove fatal
They must be placed in pressure
chambers to be decompressed.
Makes Flyers Easy Victims.
When a man enters the strato-
sphere he has passed rapidly from
atmospheric pressure to about one
fourth atmospheric pressure. There
Is the same danger of nitrogen
bubble formation. The change is
about equivalent to that experienced
by diver in coming up through
100 feet of water. No case has been
reported, however of an aviator
suffering the same extreme pain as
a bends" victim. The suffering is
sufficient, however. to disable him
as a flyer and make him an easy
victim of an enemy who is free from
eeroembolism In addition to the
pain the man becomes depressed and
droWsy. In some cases he may be-
come unconscious.
With the prospect Of the stratos-
phere becoming a more and more
important battle-ground in wars of
the future, the problem of sky bends
is very important and difficult one
for the Navy officers. The advantage
of getting on top of the enemy is
one Of the best known principles
Of aerial warfare. One solution
would be to make the cockpit into
a diving bell where atmospheric
pressure could be mainland. This
would add greatly to the weight of
the plane and leave less leeway for
fuel or armament. Another would
be to make a sort of diving bell out
of the aviator's suit. This is already
considered too heavy and compli-
Gated
Another possibility. now being
tested, is that of physiological con-
ditioning OF aviators in pressure
chambers. Men climbing high
mountains get what is known as
mountain sickness, which may be
partially a mild degree of the STRAIT
osphere malady. 1t is we'll known,
however, that persons who have
spent all their lives in the rarifed
atmospheres never experience this.
They are uncomfortable when they
come down to sea level How the
resistance is brought about is not
entirely understood. but at least
part of it is due to actual chemical
changes in the blood 1t may be
possible to bring about the same
changes in the blood Of men in
tended for stratosphere flying by
keeping them for extended periods
in the artificially rarifed atmos-
phere OF pressure chamber.
Pressure Chamber at Navy Yard.
While this is far from an ex-
cluslvely naval problem the Navy
doctors constitute the best equipped
medical body in the world to solve
1t because of long experience with
the reverse condition At the WASH
ington Navy Yard there is a pres
sure chamber which has been used
In many medical investigations.
The Investigations are being con-
Quoted under the direction of 1t.
Albert r. Behnke whose previous
work has gone far towards making
deep sea diving safe to depths hith-
erto considered impossible and has
greatly facilitated rescues from sub
marines. His field is Chiefly sub
marine medicine and his investiga-
tons in this field are throwing new
light on the complex Physiology of
respiration a complete understand
ing OF which is essential to full solu-
ton of the problems
Studies have already made it pos
sible, 1t. Behnke explained. for men
IN a trapped submarine to rise
through 100 feet of water without
any protection at all such as is
given by lungs" or by the elaborate
rescue apparatus used by the Navy
in the rescue of the crew of the
Squalls. Prospective submarine
personnel now are trained in this
procedure.
1t requires practice and a cool
nerve The first essential TT