Evening star., 1941-05-15
$4,000 W.P.A. Funds
Asked for Aviation
Research Laboratory
National Health Institute
Seeks Bethesda Building
For Hieh-AItitude Study
BY MIRIAM GUTENBERG.

Funds for the construction OF q
$4,000 laboratory in which the Ma
tional Institute of Health will con-
duct confidential research in avia-
ton medicine for the armed serv-
ices and commercial companies have
been requested OF the Maryland
Work Projects Administration, it was
learned today.
Already approved by Govern
ment officials, the project now de-
pends on action of the Maryland
W. P. A. The laboratory will house
$75,00o worth of equipment now
available and will be built on the
institute grounds near Bethesda. Md
The equipment awaiting installa-
ton would make the building one
of the finest for aviation medicine
in the country, DIR. J. G. Townsend
chief of the Institutes industrial
hygiene division, declared.
He explained that the aviation
research, started at the Institute
last September at the request of the
Navy. had progressed SO rapidly that
additional space was needed.
Installation to Cost $4,000.
Present plans call for q perma-
nent building, probably of srein-
forced concrete, consisting of an
experimental chamber, . room for
apparatus, laboratory and an
office. DR.. Townsend said he hoped
to get the contract for construction
let by July l.
He estimated that it would cost
about $4,000 to install the equip
ment. The customary sponsor 8
share in the w. p. A. grant, If 10 is
awarded, would be the installation
of equipment. The Institute has
been granted SIC, 1000 from the Fed
eral Security Agency Committee on
Health and Medicine.
Now being used for research In
various sections of the institute
buildings are two chambers, in
one of which pressure can be
depressed to compare with that
at 5000 feet elevation. The other
chamber measures the effects of
cold. But the pressure and cold
cannot be correlated to simu-
late natural conditions. The new
equipment, which has not been
installed for lack of space, Is Q re-
frigerator that will correlate press
ure with cold.
Study Effects Of Rapid Ascent.
The scientists want to study the
effects Of rapid ascent to high alti-
tudes and the means Of preventing
such Ill effects as fatigue, lassitude
and pilot strain.
Through discovering how long a
pilot can stand flying at certain alti-
tudes, the scientists would be able to
furnish information on which to es-
innate the number of trained pilots
needed for high altitude flying.
Research is also being done into
the effects of altitude exposure with
out oxygen to determine at what
altitude the need for oxygen be-
comes evident and how it should be
administered.
Studies will be made of the use of
drugs for individuals exposed to
high attitudes.
The industrial hygiene division has
already made q study of fatigue In
truck drivers The technioues
worked out in this study, DR.. Town
send said, are being used by the
Navy now in the selection of its
pilots on the basis of physical fit-
ness. 49,
Method Developed in 1889.
This scientific system of measur-
Ing fatigue was completed by the
institute in 1899 at the request OF
the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion. Medical examinations and
4 200 sets of tests were administered
to 889 commercial truck drivers from
approximately 100 companies. No
alteration has BEEN made in the
tests to discover the physical fitness
of pilots.
The tests were made on groups OF
men who had driven more than 1C
hours since sleep, men who had
driven less than 10 hours and those
who were presumably rested. The
functional efficiency of drivers wa.
tested on the basis of speed of tap
ping, reaction-coordin ton time
reaction time, manual steadiness
driving vigilance and ability to dis
tinguish a flicker.
Tests were also made of aiming
body sway, resistance to glare and
speed Of eye movement.