262 Historical 



inspirations for the diminished quantity of oxygen in the same 

 volume of air. 95 



In this document, L. Coindet 96 reports the results of 1500 obser- 

 vations made on Mexicans and Frenchmen on the high plateaux, 

 in which he counted the number of respiratory movements. I 

 give here the summary of his tables: 



Frenchmen Mexicans 



Below 16 inspirations per minute 54 25 



16 inspirations 70 54 



Above 16 inspirations 626 671 



750 750 



General average of inspirations per minute 19.36 20.297 



In the presence of this mass of data (adds our author), doubt is 

 no longer possible, and it is certain that those dwelling here do not 

 breathe less quickly than men whose dwelling is 2277 meters lower. 

 Farther on, Coindet declares: 



That, independently of the greater activity of the respiration, the 

 inspirations are generally ample, deep, and profound, and-that all the 

 more because they are less numerous. 



He then states, without having made any exact measurement 

 of this point, however: 



That thus equilibrium is always established, and that the function 

 constantly tends to adapt itself to the rarefaction and lightness of the 

 atmosphere. 



Then, in a very sudden decision, which seems to indicate on 

 the part of our author a very great desire to be easily convinced, 

 Coindet does not hesitate to draw at once this important conclu- 

 sion from these observations on the respiratory rhythm: 



That what has been written in regard to the insufficiency of the 

 oxygenation of the blood at great altitudes, as a consequence of an 

 alleged slowing of the respiration, should be considered unfounded . . . 

 It may very well be that the so-called Mexican anemia is merely the 

 yellowish complexion characteristic of the natives! 



Next come observations on the pulse rate and the comparative 

 measurements of the chest capacity of Frenchmen and Mexicans. 

 We shall return to the second of these later. In regard to the 

 pulse: 



I have felt it repeatedly (says Coindet) without any prejudice, 



and I have even counted the heartbeats, which agreed with those of 



the arteries. 



In short, he finds as the average pulse rate, 76.216 for French- 

 men, and 80.24 for Mexicans. 



