THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE AVIATOR 101 



metabolism of the cell, the central fact of life? Is not 

 the mode of regulation of the interior environment of 

 the body the constants of the "humors" the prime prob- 

 lem of the "vegetative" side of physiology? 



Among the ill effects of lack of oxygen we may distin- 

 guish three more or less distinct conditions. They are 

 comparable, in terms of more common disorders, to acute 

 disease in contrast with chronic conditions of various de- 

 grees. Thus any one suddenly exposed to acute depriva- 

 tion of oxygen, as is the balloonist or the aviator in very 

 lofty ascents, shows one set of symptoms. If the ex- 

 posure is less acute, as in the case of one taking up resi- 

 dence on a high mountain, the effects develop gradually ;; 

 he passes through the stages of mountain sickness, a con- 

 dition much like sea sickness, to a state of acclimatization 

 and renewed health. If, however, the ascent or the flight 

 is for only two or three hours, a period too short for any 

 degree of acclimatization to develop, and this strain on 

 the oxygen-needing organs is repeated daily, as is the 

 case with the aviator of the upper air, the condition of 

 "air staleness" is likely sooner or later to result. It is. 

 the effect of repeated slight oxygen deficiency on an in- 

 dividual who does not become acclimatized. It is, I be- 

 lieve, closely related to those effects of repeated over- 

 exertion and oxygen shortage which appear in the over- 

 trained athlete. 



The classic description of collapse from oxygen de- 

 ficiency is that written by Tissandier, 2 the sole survivor 

 of a fatal balloon ascent in 1875. 



I now come to the fateful moments when we were 

 overcome by the terrible action of reduced pressure. 

 At 7,000 meters (Bar. 320 mm.) we were all below 

 in the car. . . . Torpor had seized me. My hands 

 were cold and I wished to put on my fur gloves ; but 

 without my being aware of it, the action of taking 

 2 Quoted from Paul Bert, op. cit. f p. 1061. 



