Medical Apparatuses 417 



Similar observations were made at Nice. Tutschek 10 declares 

 that the effect of compressed air is shown by: 



1. Enlargement of the pulmonary alveoli; 2. decrease of the num- 

 ber of respirations; 3. slackening of the arterial circulation; 4. accel- 

 eration of the venous and capillary circulation; 5. stimulation of 

 organic expenditures and of assimilation, evidenced by greater excre- 

 tion of carbonic acid and urea, and by hunger reaching the point of 

 gluttony; 6. greater stimulation of the nervous system by a blood 

 richer in oxygen, evidenced by activity of mind and a sensation of 

 lightness of movement. 



He does not give the pressure used. Everything leads us to 

 think, moreover, that this summary of symptoms is merely bor- 

 rowed from former authors; Tutschek made observations on only 3 

 healthy persons and 6 sick ones. In the former, the number of 

 respirations decreased by 3 to 5 and that of the heartbeats by to 

 10; the changes were greater in the invalids. 



In Germany, Dr. G. Lange, physician at the spa of Johannisberg, 

 had installed in this establishment an apparatus for the use of com- 

 pressed air. In collaboration with Rudolph von Vivenot, he there 

 made numerous observations which we shall discuss, and published 

 a memoir, translated into French by M. Thierry-Mieg, about the 

 results of his practice. The interesting extracts from this memoir 

 will be better placed in the chapter devoted to the study of theoreti- 

 cal explanations. 



I shall quote here only the summary which he gives of the 

 phenomena observed in persons subjected to the action of com- 

 pressed air: 



Slackening of the respiration and the circulation; very probably, 

 greater absorption of oxygen by the skin and the lungs; increase of 

 exhalation of carbonic acid; decrease of cutaneous transpiration and 

 pulmonary exhalation; increase of the urinary secretion, which elimin- 

 ates more uric acid and less phosphate; improvement in hematosis 

 and nutrition; increase in the energy of the muscular apparatus and 

 in the vital capacity of the lungs. (P. 33.) 



In 1860 von Vivenot began the series of his publications on the 

 physiological and therapeutic effect of compressed air. His numer- 

 ous notes and memoirs 1X led him to write a lengthy work, 12 which 

 appeared in 1868; it is by far the most important work which has 

 been published on this subject. 



The larger part of his researches were made at the baths of 

 Johannisberg. Since the altitude was fairly great, the average 

 barometric pressure was only -741.17 mm.; as the compression used 

 rose to 318.07 mm., the total pressure was 1060.24 mm. This pres- 



