Research Laboratory (New London, Conn.) for analysis, as part of its bone- 

 necrosis survey program. None of the applicants so examined was found to be 

 affected with this malady. 



Predive Physical Examinations and Briefing 



Any disqualifying change in physical status occurring following the preliminary 

 examination was expected to be detected in the predive examination. This 

 physical, identical to the first one, was made at base camp during the 

 requisite two-week training period preceding each mission. No aquanaut was 

 rejected at this point in the program. (One disqualified himself, in effect, 

 once he arrived in base camp, on the basis of recurrent nosebleeds during 

 diving. ) 



A second purpose of this examination was to form a baseline for comparing any 

 physiological changes that occurred in the aquanaut during the dive. A third 

 reason was to acquaint the physician of prime responsibility in the mission 

 and the aquanauts with one another. 



As part of the predive briefing, members of the medical staff lectured the 

 aquanauts on the medical problems encountered in TEKTITE I that might logically 

 be expected to emerge in TEKTITE II, The aquanauts were also told of the 

 hazards of saturation diving, in particular the importance of observing the 

 deep- and shallow-excursion limitations (discussed hereafter). They were 

 carefully instructed regarding procedures to be followed in the event of 

 accidental surfacing and on the probability of injury resulting from overly 

 rapid decompression (e.g., air embolism or severe CNS sjmiptomatology) . In 

 addition, the aquanauts were instructed in the use of the pharmacopoeia 

 available to them in the habitat. 



The aquanauts were exhorted to use the ear solution (equal volumes of 

 50% alcohol, 57o acetic acid, 5% tannic acid) devised to combat "swimmer's ear," 

 a major problem in any prolonged exposure to water. Divers were instructed 

 to fill the ear canals with the solution after the last dive of the day, 

 allowing one to two minutes of contact. The solution was then to be removed 

 by use of a soft wick of twisted cotton (not by cotton applicators, which 

 might cause trauma). 



After Mission 1-50 of TEKTITE II, special emphasis was placed on complete 

 ophthalmologic examinations of each aquanaut prior to his mission, because of 

 the bubble-like inclusions in the left eye of a participant in that mission. 



Indive Procedures 



A major difference between the medical surveillance in TEKTITE I and II was 

 that in TEKTITE II the medical staff was allowed to conduct daily personal 

 conferences with aquanaut by telephone from the command van; conferences that 

 were not monitored by the psychological observers. Such direct communication 

 had not been permitted in the earlier program because it was felt to break 

 isolation. Because of the daily conferences in TEKTITE II, it was possible to 

 maintain a much closer check on the physical condition of each aquanaut-- 

 especially with respect to the most mettlesome problems, i.e., otitis, ear 

 "squeeze," and skin infections. 



IX-6 



