INFLUENCE OF ALTITUDE. 43 



The observations I have made, chiefly in the Himalayas, on 

 the distressing effects of high altitudes, lead me to think that 

 they do not manifest themselves more severely on horses than 

 on men. On leaving the plains in India and going to a 

 height of, say, 10,000 ft., one experiences as a rule no new sen- 

 sation, except a slight exhilaration of spirits. Ponies of all 

 breeds, when taken from the plains and run on race-courses 

 at Simla, Mussooree and Kujear (near Dalhousie), at altitudes 

 of from 5,000 to 7,000 ft. above the level of the sea, show all 

 their accustomed spirit and endurance. At an altitude of 

 over, say, 15,000 ft. in the Himalayas or Tibet, human beings, 

 especially new-comers, become more or less affected with 

 giddiness, breathlessness, faintness, depression, headache, and 

 other more or less painful symptoms of a deficiency in the 

 supply of air to the lungs, which symptoms are naturally 

 aggravated by muscular exercise. Horses in similar circum- 

 stances also exhibit exhaustion and distress, though pro- 

 bably, in such cases, they are handicapped by the severe toil 

 they are as a rule enduring. 



Fleming (Veterinarian, May, June, July and August, 1868) 

 has drawn attention to the fact that horses are said to suffer 

 from various respiratory diseases caused by crossing mountain 

 ranges in Mexico and Peru. In fact it would appear from 

 these reports, that horses are peculiarly susceptible to disease 

 brought on by high altitudes, which is a supposition that 

 cannot be accepted without further proof. My own experi- 

 ence leads me to infer that going over even the highest passes 

 of the Himalayas does not predispose horses to disease. I 

 have bought several and examined many Yarkund ponies 

 which came to Kangra Valley via Chanchengmo, and have 

 never seen more healthy animals. 



Residence in places of high altitudes, confers a large degree 

 of immunity against the distressing symptoms brought on by 

 the breathing of highly rarefied air. 



