XXVII A Comparison of the Symptomatology Experienced by Healthy Persons and Subjects with Loss of Labyrinthine Function When Exposed to Unusual Patterns of Centripetal Force in a Counter-Rotating Room

The cardinal objective of the experiments to be reported was an attempt to determine the role of the otolith organs in causing motion sickness. That this role of the otoliths still poses a problem awaiting solution is evident from the divergent or inconclusive opinions expressed by investigators.l" and the reason is attributable to several difficulties in experimental design; namely, 1) it is difficult to evaluate the functional status of these organs in healthy persons, 2) it is impossible to stimulate the otolith organs without, at the same time, stimulating nonotolithic gravireceptors, 3) it is essential that great care be taken if stimulation of the otoliths independently of the semicircular canals is desired, and 4) it is difficult to identify naturally occurring experimental subjects either with loss of otolith function only or with intact otolith function remaining and other labyrinthine functions lost. These difficulties were met in part at least by the following experiment which involved the use of subjects with bilateral