MAN IN A GLASS BOX

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10633, 5 July 1920, Page 10

MAN IN A GLASS BOX

PEO'FESOR'S SIX-DAY EXPERIJIENT. 'Mtj. Joseph Barcroft, of the Cambridge (Bng.) Physiological Laboratory, who spent sis days in a hermetically sealed bos . to prove -whether the I amount of oxygen in a man's blood can be calculated from a knowledge of- the quantity of oxygen in his breath, has told his experiences to a London paper. He was quite cheerful after his six days' voluntary incarceration, and waa conducting his class as usual. "I found," he said, "that! the atmosphere became rarer and rarer, and more and more oxygenised, and to prevent this from reaching a dangerous point it was necessary to introduce nitrogen, which, was pumped in through a tube, in one of the glass walls. On another side was an outlet, which permitted the oxygen to escape. "I kept a, record of my sensations and of scientific observations. I suffered from sleeplessness, but otherwise did not experience much inconvenience except on the last day, when the atmosphere became extremely rarified. I then had! headache and sickness." The experiment was also made to demonstrate whether it was necessary that airmen should have oxygen apparatus when flying at great, heights. It proved that oxygen was necessary to flying men, but it was not proved to what height they could fly with ' Mr "Barcroft was watched continually while he waa in the box. He took food, and slept ia two small compartments fitted up with wicker chairs, a table a. small bed, and a bicycle, .on which he had exercise every morning on rising. * _^________