Caisson Sickness and the Physiology of Work in Compressed Air.

Compressed-air work has its humorous side.Two workers in the Tower Bridge caissons were seized with " bends."One danced about with the pain, and he was quickly relieved ; the other knelt down and prayed.As the religious exercise proved of no avail, he also quickly betook himself to dancing and found relief.There is the story, too, of the Town Councillors who went to celebrate the completion of a section of certain tunnel works, and took some champagne into the caisson.On drawing the cork the champagne proved flat, and, thinking it bad, they drank none, all except one, who tasting liked the wine, and drank half the bottle, which he then corked and put in his pocket.During decompression in the air-lock the cork blew out with a loud report, and there was a great commotion, as one Councillor asserted he had been shot.