58 Historical 



tions about poisonous air, which both the Indians of the Andes and 

 those of the Himalaya have accepted. 



The most remarkable account I know, in this respect, is that of 

 the French traveller Jules Remy,' 7 who made the ascent of Pichin- 

 cha (4860 meters) on October 2, 1856. The weather was magnifi- 

 cent, it was warm on the summit of the mountain, where numerous 

 humming birds were buzzing about. Remy felt no distress. 



My breathing is free, easy, excellent, and I feel no symptoms of 

 distress, a fact worth noting, for it confirms my preceding observations, 

 although contradicting those of other travellers who had stated that 

 at these altitudes the decrease of the atmospheric column causes serious 

 symptoms in different organs. 



Only on Cerro de Pasco, a mountain in Peru, celebrated for the 

 silver mines operated there, are the morbid symptoms manifested in the 

 . animal organism constant and universal, so far as we know. There one 

 is infallibly attacked by a strange disease, the soroche. . . . 



But if it is noted that Cerro de Pasco is only about 10,000 feet above 

 the ocean, and that after one has walked seven or eight leagues, normal 

 health is suddenly restored, although one is then at a much greater 

 altitude, one is compelled to admit that atmospheric pressure is not 

 the cause of the soroche, which perhaps should be attributed to ema- 

 nations from the ground. 



However, if one reads carefully this very account of J. Remy, 

 he finds in it indications of the harmful effect of the altitude; but 

 their slight importance had escaped our traveller. 



He displayed the same immunity in the ascent which, on No- 

 vember 3, 1856, took him to the summit of Chimborazo; 58 naturally 

 his negative conclusions were greatly reenforced here. The camp 

 of the night before was made at an altitude of 4700 meters, a little 

 below perpetual snow: 



The climb continued to be so steep that soon, under the weight of 

 fatigue, we were obliged to stop frequently to get our breath; then 

 thirst became extreme. . . . But we felt no symptom of discomfort or 

 of any morbid affection, mentioned by most of the travellers who have 

 ascended high mountains. 



As soon as we had stopped walking for a few seconds, even with- 

 out sitting down, we went on with new ardor, with a sort of fury 

 inspired in us by the sight of the summit so near us. It seemed evi- 

 dent to us, from this new experience which confirmed so many pre- 

 ceding ones, that at these altitudes the atmospheric column is still 

 sufficient not to hamper respiration, and that the short breath and 

 organic symptoms of which complaint is generally made by those who 

 reach considerable altitudes must be attributed to some other cause. 



Having continued their journey in the midst of clouds, the two 

 travellers thought, after observing the boiling point of water, that 



