416 Historical 



appetite; sometimes this stimulation, after a certain time, reaches the 

 point of causing a real bulimia, which forces one to discontinue or 

 make less frequent the use of the compressed air treatment. 



Among the secretions the increase of which has been mentioned 

 by the authors whom I have just quoted, that of the urine displays, 

 in quantity and nature, changes which seemed to me most remarkable; 

 and that would naturally result from the greater activity brought to 

 the metabolism of the tissues by a greater absorption of oxygen. 



The feeling of easier, deeper respiration is not experienced in the 

 same degree by all subjects placed in compressed air. Those who 

 usually breathe deeply hardly notice it, but the same thing is not true 

 of patients or valetudinarians attacked by a more or less pronounced 

 dyspnea, either on account of an affection of the thoracic organs, or 

 on account of a state of venous plethora; in general they experience a 

 sensation of extraordinary well-being which would persuade them 

 that they are cured, if it continued after the treatment. (P. 112.) 



Another doctor of Lyons, Milliet, 8 who had founded the estab- 

 lishment at Nice, a few years afterwards published observations 

 which partly agree with those of Pravaz: 



One of the most remarkable phenomena produced by increase in 

 pressure of the air breathed is the considerable slackening of the 

 circulation caused in most of the subjects. The circulatory rhythm 

 drops 10, 15, and even 45 heartbeats .... In a woman 74 years old, 

 suffering from a subacute catarrhal affection, the pulse, which had 

 risen to 120, fell to 60 and remained there. (P. 13.) .... 



In compressed air, the movements of inspiration slacken; they are 

 repeated with less frequency in a given time to maintain regular 

 pulmonary nutrition. (P. 15.) 



However the new method of treatment had made progress; ap- 

 paratuses had been installed at Stockholm, by Dr. Sandahl, 9 who 

 in 1862 reported the physiological phenomena which he had 

 observed. 



After indicating, discussing in detail, and explaining the usual 

 pains in the ears, Sandahl comes to the respiratory and circulatory 

 phenomena: 



In 1454 observations, dealing with 75 persons, the respiratory 

 movements were slowed in 1362 cases, including 64 persons; in only 

 11 persons, who took in all 102 treatments, was respiration more rapid 

 than before .... 



In general, we find that the decrease in the number of respiratory 

 movements not only comes during the treatment, but also lasts after 

 the treatment .... 



The heartbeats also become slower .... So the pulse in the 

 treatment where the air was compressed a half-atmosphere, dropped 

 9.94 beats on the average. 



