Medical Apparatuses 419 



other and they indicate an average increase of pulmonary capacity 

 equal to 1/31.5 of the volume of the lungs, or 3.3%. As the maxi- 

 mum of this increase, I found in myself 254 cc, in Dr. Lange 200 

 cc, in M. H. .y 223 cc, in M. R. 270 cc. and even 500; 686 in a patient 

 with emphysema, M. G., whose average respiratory capacity was 2268 

 cc, that is, about 2/9 to 2/7 of the total respiratory capacity. 



The effect obtained, as we see, is doubled; on the one hand, we 

 have in the same volume more atmospheric air, and on the other 

 hand, our enlarged lungs are capable of receiving a greater volume 

 of this compressed air. If then my average respiratory capacity is 

 3425 cc. under normal pressure, the same volume of compressed air 

 at 1.37 atmospheres would represent by itself 4893 cc. of normal air. 

 And as, under increased pressure, my lungs inspire an average of 

 108.1 cc more, which is equivalent to 154.5 cc. of normal air which 

 I inspire, then 3425 + 108.1 cc. = 3533.1 cc of compressed air, it fol- 

 lows that the volume of air drawn in by the deepest inspiration 

 under the effect of compression is equal to 5047.5 cc. of air at normal 

 pressure .... 



Experimentation has proved that after a stay of 2 hours in com- 

 pressed air, the pulmonary capacity, even under normal pressure, does 

 not return to its original volume, but retains an increase which, in 

 me, rose on the average to 50.53 cc, at the maximum to 183 cc; 

 in M. H. .y on the average to 57.6 cc, at the maximum to 124 cc. 

 It next gave this interesting and astonishing result that the sub- 

 sequent effect is not a passing effect, but that it is partly permanent, 

 so that as a result of the use of compressed air for two hours every 

 day, one enters the pneumatic apparatus with a pulmonary capacity 

 which, naturally disregarding physiological variations, every day 

 exceeds what it was the day before by 20 to 30 cc. For instance, 

 from April 30 to September 19 inclusive, that is, in 143 days, after 

 122 treatments with compressed air taken during this time, my pul- 

 monary capacity under normal pressure had risen successively from 

 3051 to 3794 cc (under compressed air even to 3981 cc), a figure 

 which it had already attained August 12 after 91 air treatments, and 

 at which it remained almost constantly. The vital capacity of the 

 lungs therefore in me in three and a half months had made a progres- 

 sive increase of 743 cc, that is, nearly a quarter of its original volume 

 (24%). A similar result was observed in other persons. In M. H. .y, 

 the respiratory capacity had risen after 11 days use of compressed 

 air from 2900 cc. to 3085 cc; in M. de K., in 4 days, from 3252 

 cc. to 3664 cc; in M. G., a patient with emphysema, in 17 days, 

 from 2202 cc. to 2550 cc; the respiratory capacity of the latter had 

 even reached 2836 cc. in compressed air. 



A suspension, even for several days, showed no retrogressive effect, 

 and three weeks after my last stay in compressed air, the spirometer 

 showed that my respiratory capacity had remained at 3800 cc. Like- 

 wise percussion, by Professor Duchek, revealed after 3 weeks that 

 the forcing downward of the diaphragm and the liver for 2 centi- 

 meters and the decrease of the dullness of the heart, matters dis- 

 cussed above, were maintained. 



