Posted by John Walker on January 22, 2002 at 12:27:02:
In Reply to: Re: are we hurting our children? posted by Andy on January 21, 2002 at 17:38:43:
Just a couple of example here of how slow we are to take note on diving physiology-
In 1871 Jaminet suggested that dehydration was related to DCS, finding that victims had aproximently 50% less plasma then normal. Today we still can't get this accross to divers who get drunk the night before or who drink coffee the morning of a dive.
In 1854 Pol, Watelle associated DCS was a result of leaving a compressed air environment but it wasn't until Mior some 41 years later decided to recompressed people in a chamber reducung the deaths from DCS form 25% - 2%.
In 1959 Brian Hill used 2/3rds of the USN ascent times (deep stops) and greatly reduced the DCS incidence in sponge divers. Then Richard Pile found some 8 years ago that on fish collecting dives in which he worked he didn't get any DCS symptoms and on dives that he didn't work collecting fish he got bent. He related this to stoping at 100' or so for several minutes to draw out gases in the fishes air bladder with a hypodermic needle in order to keep his specimines alive. Everyone gav him credit for discovering deep stops.
Reverend Edward Lampier noted that CO2 was a big contributing factor in both DCS and O2 toxicity but look at all the fat CO2 retainers swimming around these days in SCUBA gear.
The lists go on but as this shows we as a community do not pay enough attention to the important details.
JW