Decreased Pressure 959 



A German traveller, Calberla, published observations of the 

 same sort 10 taken on Monte Rosa. The table above (Table XXI) 

 summarizes the observations made on himself and two guides; the 

 temperatures were taken in the rectum, even while walking. 



The variations in respiratory and pulse rate agree with all that 

 was already known. As for the temperatures, we see that they 

 varied, for Calberla and P. Muller, from 36.8° to 37.5°; for P. Bohren, 

 from 36.4° to 37.2°. During the ascent, the temperature kept rising; 

 the minimum observed was during a halt, at 4371 meters, or after 

 the rest on the summit of Monte Rosa, the temperature of the air 

 being + 4.8°. 



Professor L. Thomas, in a note joined to the Memoire of Calberla, 

 says that he had measured his temperature under the tongue for 

 several years at Roccia Melone (3550 meters), at Levanna (3750 

 meters) , at the Grand Pelvoux (3954 meters) , without ever having 

 observed a lowering of temperature from the ascent. 



But we must note that all these observations leave out entirely 

 the question of what would happen if the observers had really 

 suffered from the altitude; one point then still remains obscure, to 

 which I call the attention of scientific travellers: does the tempera- 

 ture decrease from the act of ascent during a really pronounced 

 attack of mountain sickness? But I must insist again on the pre- 

 cautions to be taken in the use of the buccal thermometer: at least 

 two minutes of application under the tongue are necessary, accord- 

 ing to the observations of M. Thorpe. And even so, the causes of 

 error are such that it is best to take the temperature in the rectum, 

 using maximum thermometers. 



I shall quote also, as a document interesting for our subject, 

 some extracts from a letter which I received from Dr. Ward, who 



