Posted
on October 17, 2014
What
is “aviation medicine,” and why is today's birthday boy, Paul
Bert, the “father” of it?
Paul
Bert, born in France on this date in 1833, studied engineering, then
law, then physiology. He graduated from university as a doctor of
medicine and (later) as a doctor of science, and he became a
professor and researcher.
(He
also became a politician who worked to liberate “national education from religious sects, while rendering it accessible to every citizen.” In other words, he wanted a good, secular
education to be available to all.)
In
Bert's scientific research, he studied many things, but he is
especially known for his studies of the effects of air
pressure—including high and low air pressure—on animals and
plants.
Did
you know that oxygen can be a poison if there is too much of it in
our body tissues? Divers who breathe oxygen at higher-than-normal
partial pressures have to worry about oxygen toxicity, and people who
breathe oxygen from tanks for other reasons have to take care as
well. Apparently, the new “oxygen bars” available to people for
recreational use are dangerous to those with heart and lung disease –
so check that out carefully if you are ever tempted to go to one!
Of
course, low amounts of oxygen can be an even bigger problem, even
quicker—and Bert studied the effects of low air pressure on
balloonists and on animals in a hypobaric chamber he invented. With
this experimental apparatus he could simulate the conditions of
really high altitudes—up to 36,000 feet! He realized that
balloonists who travel at high altitudes should take supplemental
oxygen.
All
of Bert's data was pressed into service by others once people started
flying planes in the early 1900s, and aviation medicine became a big
area of research at the beginning of World War II. At that point,
the scientists who were STILL using Bert's observations realized that
he deserved the credit for being the founder of the new branch of
medicine.
Aviation
medicine is more than just a study of low air pressure—although
that is really important, and obviously air travel requires that
pilots perform well! Aviation medicine looks at all the stresses of
flight: extreme temperatures, radiation, noise, vibrations, forces of
acceleration, as well as low air pressure and oxygen deprivation.
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