Mountain Journeys 111 



at the slightest movement was still intense. One of our companions 

 experienced great nausea, complete lack of appetite, but did not vomit. 

 (P. 18.) 



After this general description, M. Lortet passes to the analysis 

 of the disturbances in the various functions. And at the beginning 

 he is careful to say: 



Hardly noticeable while going from Lyons to Chamounix, that is, 

 passing from a height of 200 meters to an altitude of 1000 meters, 

 their disturbance is, on the contrary, very appreciable from Cham- 

 ounix to the Grands-Mulets (from 1050 to 3050 meters), still plainer 

 from the Grands-Mulets (3050 meters) to the Grand-Plateau (3932 

 meters) ; finally this change becomes very great from the Grand- 

 Plateau to the Bosses-du-Dromadaire (4556 meters), and at the 

 summit of the Calotte of Mont Blanc (4810 meters). 



We shall therefore review the variations undergone by the respi- 

 ration, the circulation, and the inner temperature of the body, taken 

 under the tongue at different altitudes, either while walking, or after 

 a suitable period of rest. (P. 20.) 



Respiration: From Chamounix to the Grand-Plateau (from 1050 

 to 3952 meters) disturbances of respiration are slight in those who 

 know how to walk in the mountains, who keep their heads lowered 

 to lessen the laryngial orifice, who breathe with their mouths closed, 

 being careful to suck an inert object, such as a hazelnut or a little 

 piece of quartz, which considerably increases salivation and prevents 

 the drying out of the air passages. From Chamounix to the Grand- 

 Plateau, the number of respiratory movements is hardly changed; 

 while at rest, we find twenty-four per minute, as in Lyons and in 

 Chamounix; but from the Grand-Plateau to the Bosses-du-Dromadaire 

 and to the summit, we find thirty-six movements per minute. The 

 breathing is very short and very difficult, even when one remains 

 quiet; it seems as if the muscles are stiffened and the ribs are held 

 in a vise. At the summit, the slightest movement brings on panting; 

 but after two hours of rest these discomforts disappear little by little. 

 Respiration drops to twenty-five per minute, but it still remains 

 painful. (P. 20.) 



M. Lortet studied the changes in the amplitude of his respi- 

 ration with the anapnograph of Bergeon and Kastus; the two 

 tracings below give a very complete idea of them; in both, the area 

 GFED represents the inspiration, the area DCBA, the expiration. 



Comparing the tracing of Figure 1, taken at Lyons, with the 

 following, taken at the summit of Mont Blanc, after a rest of an 

 hour and a half, we see that the quantity of air inspired and 

 expired at the summit of Mont Blanc is much less than at Lyons. 



Circulation: During the ascent, although progress is excessively 

 slow, the circulation is accelerated extraordinarily. At Lyons', when 

 I am resting and fasting, my average pulse rate is sixty-four per 



