50 Historical 



companied by hemorrhages from the nostrils and the eyes. Not all 

 persons are subject to this effect, and it is clear that certain constitu- 

 tions are more sensitive to it. The muleteers recommend garlic and 

 onions as specifics. (Vol. I, p. 6.) 



The Englishman Lloyd 4 "' who crossed the great Sierra of Illimani, 

 expresses himself as follows: 



Except for the disease called soroche, which is an affection of the 

 lungs that is painful and often dangerous, caused by the extreme rare- 

 faction of the air at this great altitude, almost no illness is known, 

 except colds and dropsy. (P. 260.) 



The French botanist Weddell, 4 ' 5 whose sufferings when he was 

 accompanying de Castelnau we have already reported, returned to 

 Eolivia later. Coming from Arica, he had crossed the chain of the 

 Cordillera without noteworthy symptoms, and after he had been 

 in La Paz nearly two months, he had had no trouble; but on June 22, 

 1851, while he was botanizing, he wished to climb a steep slope 

 rapidly; he was suddenly attacked: 



I can hardly express my sufferings from the soroche (he says), in 

 this ascent which demanded of me gymnastic efforts which I was far 

 from expecting. The fact remains that when I had reached the top of 

 the precipice with my flowers, and was stretched out exhausted and 

 panting on the ground, I swore, but a little late, that I would not be 

 caught that way again. During the first few moments following my 

 climb, I thought only of getting my breath which seemed on the point 

 of leaving me, and a few minutes afterwards, when I thought of ex- 

 amining my pulse, its rate was still 160 per minute. I do not think 

 I have ever felt greater oppression than during this unexpected botan- 

 izing expedition. From that day I felt a physical discomfort which I 

 could not account for, and I foresaw that I was going to be ill. (P. 187.) 



He was, in fact, and very seriously. 



Except on this occasion, Weddell pays very little attention to 

 the soroche, although in many passages of his account we recog- 

 nize suggestions of it, sometimes in men, sometimes in domestic 

 animals. I find nothing to quote but this interesting remark about 

 the Indian postillions, who always proceed at a run, on the road 

 from La Paz to Puno: 



They never seem out of breath (he says), whereas in this same 

 country, a European can hardly run ten steps without being obliged 

 to stop. (P. 547.) 



As you will perceive, there is a very great difference between 

 this statement and those made by travellers on the Himalaya; the 

 Indian coolies, they tell us, are often sicker than the Europeans 



