Animal Experiments for Evaluating Decompression: Development of the Modern Submarine Escape Method

Although animal experiments helped to lay the foundations of our understanding of decompression physiology and to develop the first methods to avoid decompression sickness, new diving methods have relied only sparingly on animal experiments. A short review is provided of the development of the modern Submarine escape method: a rescue method from sunken submarines. The development of this method has depended to a very large extent on the use of animal experiments.