SIX DAYS EST SEALED GLASS CASE.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3587, 25 September 1920, Page 6

SIX DAYS EST SEALED GLASS CASE.

BRITISH SCIENTIST MAKES DARING EXPERIMENT. •' Six days sealed up in a glass case is a daajjig fcxpenmenj bearing on aviation whiclj, lias just, been carried Out by a middle-aged British. University professor, Joseph Barcroit, E.K.S., reader in- physiology at Cambridge

TJniversity. The question involved "was ■whether it would be possible to cal-

culate the of oxygen necessary to an airman at high altitudes. The case in which Mr. Barerof-t: was

shut up for six days was' specially er-

ected in a quiet room in the physiological laboratory It was about seven feet high and about ten feet broad. The floor, walls and roof were made of glass, hermetically sealed, and divided into two compartments —one fitted wi.h a lounge* chair and table iind the other with a simple bed. At the foot of the bed was a pedaling apparatus consisting of the frame of a bicycle, from which the front wheel with a frame attached, to enable Mr. Barcrofr to get some exercise

and cause a certain amount of work to be done.

During his six days in this ease Mr. Bareroft spent his time in work relating to fhe experiments, in taking exercise on the bicycle and in sleeping. He was kept under observation day and night to ensure his personal safety college students and others taking it in torn to ktep watch. Nitrogen was continually -introduced into the chamber and the air became gradually rarer than oxygen until it approximated that at an altitude of 16,000 feet, when Mr. Bareroft, who has had experience of mountaineering, experienced considerable inconvenience from sickness and sleeplessness, and also an indisposition to take any food.

At the close of the experiment some blood was taken from Mr. Bareroft's arm. The oxygen the blood contained Was separated and it was- found to ttgree with the expectations of the experiment.

Mr. Bareroft confesses to having felt rather shaken up after his release from the glass "case, but did not look much the worse for the experience.

The experiment is regarded as thoroughly successful and a scientific report of it will be laid, before tho next meeting of the British Association, where Mr. Bareroft will 1 be president of the physiological section.