970 



Summary and Conclusions 



pipe, leaving the hands free to put down observations in a notebook. 

 With this arrangement, the gas, passing through water flavored with 

 benzoin, reached the lungs fresh and perfumed. 



Unfortunately, all these precautions were, if not useless, at least 

 of very little use. Because of the speed of their upward flight and 



Fig. 87— Diagram of the high altitude ascent of April 15, 1875. 



the sudden collapse of the aeronauts, the inhalations could not be 

 made at the moment when they were most indispensable. 



M. Gaston Tissandier, who at first had experienced its good ef- 

 fects, could not ,at one moment, find enough energy to raise his hand 

 to reach the inhalation tube. On his return, he assured me that at 

 the time of descent of the balloon, which took place, as we know, at 

 Ciron, near Le Blanc, in Indre, the gas bags were fastened below the 



