Atlas Nightshade

Day 109

“There was still, however, another difficulty, which occasioned

me some little disquietude. It has been observed, that, in

balloon ascensions to any considerable height, besides the pain

attending respiration, great uneasiness is experienced about the

head and body, often accompanied with bleeding at the nose, and

other symptoms of an alarming kind, and growing more and more

inconvenient in proportion to the altitude attained.(*3) This was

a reflection of a nature somewhat startling. Was it not probable

that these symptoms would increase indefinitely, or at least

until terminated by death itself? I finally thought not. Their

origin was to be looked for in the progressive removal of the

customary atmospheric pressure upon the surface of the body, and

consequent distention of the