Decreased Pressure 1007 



is recommended especially to consumptives; this mode of treat- 

 ment dates, in the Andes, from the Spanish conquest, and according 

 to Tschudi, doctors abuse it so that "often the invalids lose their 

 lives in the Cordilleras." In Europe, only recently has sojourn in 

 lofty regions and particularly the Engadine been advised; but 

 already it is very fashionable, which proves that it is useful to 

 many society people and probably to invalids too. 



I shall only call the attention of the doctors to the advantage 

 which might perhaps be derived in certain cases (fevers or inflam- 

 mations) from a decompression low enough to take from the blood 

 a considerable part of its oxygen, and even perhaps lower the tem- 

 perature of the body. It seems to me that this would be an "alter- 

 ative" medication of great power; but I will stop now, admitting 

 my incompetence in these difficult matters. 



1 Here is the list of my notes on this subject, with the dates of their publications: 



A. — Rechcrchcs experiment ales sur I'influcnce que les changements dans la pression baro- 

 metrique excrcent sur les phenomenes dc la vie. — Comptes-rendus de VAcadcmie des sciences. 

 Note 1. — Mort dans I'air confine; diminution de pression. (Session of July 17, 1871.) 

 Note 2.— Mo-rt dans I'air confine; augmentation de pression. (Session of August 21, 1871.) 

 Note 3. — Mort par I'acide carbonique; action toxique de Voxygene. (Session of February 26, 

 1872.) 



Note 4. — Les modifications dans la pression barometriquc n'agissent qu'en modifiant la tension 

 de Voxygene. (Session of July 1, 1872.) 



Note 5. — Les gas du sang sous diminution de pression. (Session of July S, 1872.) 

 Note 6. — La decompression brusque. (Session of August 19, 1872.) 



Note 7. — Les gas du sang so-us augmentation de pression. (Session of August 26, 1S72.) 

 Note 8. — L'empoisonnement par Voxygene : dose, symptomes; analyse physiologique. (Ses- 

 sion of February 17, 1873.) 



Note 9.— La decompression brusque : analyse, prophylaxie. (Session of March 3, 1873.) 

 Note 10. — Action toxique de I'acide carbonique. (Session of May 19, 1873.) 

 Note 11. — Action des variations de pression sur fa vegetation. (Session of June 16, 1873.) 

 Note 12.— Action toxique de Voxygene : ralentissement des oxidations. (Session of August 

 25, 1873.) 



Note 13. — Experiences personnelles sur la depression. (Session of March 30, 1874.) 

 B. — De la quantite d'oxygene que pcut absorber le sang aux diverses pressions barometriques. 

 Proceedings of the session of March 22, 1875. 



C — Influence de I'air comprime sur les fermentations. Proceedings of the session of June 

 28, 1875. 



D. — De V emploi de V oxygene a haute tension commc procede d' investigation physiologique. 

 Proceedings of the session of May 21, 1877. 



2 Journal offlcicl of May 22, 1875, p. 3624. 



3 Journal officiel of June 14, 1S76. p. 4165. 



4 Des accidents qu'on observe dans les hautes ascensions aerostatiques. Theses de Paris, 

 1875. 



5 Encore un mot sur le mal des montagnes. Bull, de la Soc. med. de la Suisse romande, 

 1874, p. 261-264. 



6 Experiences sur la temperature du corps humain dans facte de Vasccnsion sur les mon- 

 tagnes. Third series. Geneva and Bale, 1874. (Extract from the Bull, de la Soc. med. de la 

 Suisse romande.) 



7 In a copper mine in the Duchy of Cornwall, the mine of Carn-Brea, P. Moyle found a 

 still lower proportion of oxygen (14.51). Two men were working in it; but he says nothing about 

 physiological disturbances. Ann. de phys. et de chimie, Third series. Vol. Ill, p. 318-331. 1841. 



8 On the Temperature of the Human Body during Mountain. Climbing. Mature, Vol. XII, 

 p. 165, 1875. 



9 Temperature of the Body in Mountain Climbing. Nature. Vol. XII, p. 186, 1875. 



10 Ueber das Verhalten d'er Korpertemperatur bei Bcrgbcsteigungcn. Arch, dcr Hcilkunde. 

 XVI, p. 276-281, 1875. 



11 Le mont Dore; Davos. Etude medicale et climatolosique. Paris, 1875. 

 12 Camptes rendus de V Academic des sciences, Vol. LXXVIIT, p. 946 and 1060; 1874. 



13 M. Croce-Spinelli here is mistaken in his reference. Gay-Lussac did not suffer from 

 hemorrhage at all. (See in Part I, page 180.) 



14 La Nature, number of May 1, 1875: third year, first semester, p. 337-344. 



15 Les inhalations d'oxygene et Vasccnsion du Zenith. Repertoire de pharmacie. April, 1S75. 



10 L'Aeronaute, July, 1875. 



17 This passage is a reply to the statement of M. Faye, that ascensions above 70OO meters 

 were of no practical importance to science. (Comptcs rendus de I'Acad. des sciences. Vol. I XXX. 

 p. 1037, 1875.) 



i 8 Obituary. The Geological Magasine, 1874, p. 383. 



