EYESIGHT AND BALOONING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13640, 9 July 1906, Page 6

EYESIGHT AND BALOONING.

Tho Paris correspondent, of the Daily Mail writes: "I had a conversation with I)r Robert Daulnoy, the Pari; eye specialist, on the subject of ills recent experiments on the human ove while in a balloon at an altitude of 6000 ft. 'My firsl observation,' he said, 'was the increased aeutencss of vision at a high altitude. At a height of 6000 ft I flung a bottle overboard into a lake below. Not only were the two other persons in the balloon able to follow tho descent of the bottle towards the earth, but were even able to we the neck of the bottle as it disappeared beneath tho water. Another observation made was that at a high altitude there was ii considerable diminution of the pressure on the organs of vision. The pupils seemed to distend and the sensibility of the optic nerve was considerably increased. My impression is that there mav he a wide field for tho treatment of certain diseases of the eye if the treatment be carried out at a very high altitude. At present there are throe diseases against which medical science is practically powerless. These are known as glaucoma and choroiditis, and the unfastening or loosening of the retina. In the treatment of choroiditis we apply certain drops on the eye, and I cannot help thinking that if wo applied these drops at a great altitude while the patient's eye= wero subject to the conditions that I observed the effect wouid bo astonishing. I foresee, therefore, a wide field for experiments which may lead to remarkable results.'"