March 17, 1881J 



NA TURE 



461 



starting-point, was not placed high enough. It appeared 

 that the Carrels, neglecting their instructions, had made a 

 push towards the summit, but had reached a height of only 

 about 19,000 feet. As they were quite unencumbered, 

 cari'ying no instruments, and only enough food for their 

 own use, and had no traveller to look after, and yet came 

 back quite exhausted, it was obvious that we should have 

 to get still higher up before we could make a serious 

 effort to reach the summit. So, as soon as he was well 

 enough, 1 sent Louis with Perring down to the first 

 camp to fetch up a tent, which had been left there, and 

 when this arrived we were in a position to go forward 

 again. 



'■ On the following morning I went myself up the ridge 

 to look for a higher camping place, and found one on 

 the eastern side on some broken rocks, at a height of 

 17,400 feet. By this time I was in rather better condition 

 than the Carrels. Feverish ness had disappeared, and 

 my blood had resumed its normal temperature. The 

 gaspings had entirely ceased, and headache had 

 gone. Yoj will perhaps inquire how 1 knew that I was 

 feverish ; for in regard to this matter one is often mistaken, 

 and fever is supposed when it does not e.xist. By the 

 advice of the distinguished physician whose name has 

 been already mentioned. Dr. Marcet, I had provided 

 myself with a registering clinical thermometer for the 

 purpose of taking blood temperature at great elevations. 

 This was duly done, and in respect to this matter 

 nothing more need be said than that at our greatest 

 heights the temperature of the blood was (just as it is at 

 the level of the sea) higher during periods of warmth, 

 and lower when it was unusually cold ; but stood at its 

 normal height, when the thermometer was at 60" or there- 

 abouts, and did not appear to be affected by low atmo- 

 spheric pressure at all. In recommending me to take 

 this little instrument (which I have in my hand), Dr. 

 Marcet rendered me a great service ; and amongst all 

 the devices and instruments which have been pressed 

 upon the attention of travellers in general, of late years, 

 1 know nothing equal to it in importance. By constant 

 observation, 1 was able to detect the earliest advances of 

 fever ; and by taking proper steps in time, was able to 

 get through the entire journey without having an attack 

 of fever worth mentioning. Its e.xpense is trifling, and 

 it can easily be carried in the waistcoat pocket. When 

 we were first laid on our backs by mountain sickness, 

 it showed that my blood temperature mounted to ioo''4, 

 but by the end of the year it had fallen to its usual 

 height, viz., 98°. Still, although the more disagreeable 

 symptoms had gone, we found ourselves remaining com- 

 paratively lifeless and feeble, with a strong disposition 

 to sit down when we ought to have been moving." * * 



Mr. \\'hymper then described his first ascent of Chim- 

 borazo, and concluded his account of this mountain by 

 saying, " My residence on Chimborazo thuse.Ktended over 

 seventeen days. One night was passed at a height of 

 14,400 feet, ten at a height of 16,500 feet, and six at 

 17,300 feet. During this time, besides ascending to the 

 summit, I also went three times as high as 18,500 feet. 

 When we quitted the mountain, all trace of mountain 

 sicktiess liad disappeared, nor did it touch us again until 

 we arrived at the summit of Cotopaxi. * * * 



'• The height of Cotopaxi is 19,600 feet. Our camp was 

 placed about 130 feet below the loftiest point, and it was the 

 most elevated position at which any of us had ever slept. 

 We remained there twenty-six consecutive hours, feeling 

 slightly at first the effects of low pressure, having the 

 same symptoms as we had noticed on Chi nborazo ; and 

 we used chlorate of potash again with good eflect. .^11 

 signs of mountain sickness had passed away before we 

 commenced the descent, and they did not reciii- again 

 diiriui^ the journey. ***** 



"This, ladies and gentlemen, nearly brings my remarks 

 to a close, and, in conclusion, permit me to say a word 



more in respect to mountain exploration in general. 

 Amongst certain persons it is still fashionable to affect a 

 description of scorn, bordering on contempt, for anything 

 in connection with mountains and mountain work. None 

 of us leel, perhaps, very deeply the criticism of those who 

 are evidently ignorant of the subjects on which they talk ; 

 and, in this matter, speaking for myself, I rather look 

 forward to the time, which will surely come, when the 

 study of mountains, the ascent of mountains, and even 

 prolonged residence on mountains, wil) be found essential 

 for the prosecution of a score of sciences. Before this 

 could be carried out, it was necessary to learn whether 

 life could be made endurable at great heights. We were 

 always haunted by the fear of an invisible enemy who 

 might strike us down at any moment. What we wanted 

 to know was, not whether life could exist at a height of 

 20,000 feet (that was settled seventy-five years ago, by 

 Lussac), but whether man could become so far habituated 

 to the low pressure which is experienced at that height, 

 as to be able to live without inconvenience, and to do 

 useful work. I went to the Andes in search of an answer 

 to these questions, you have heard the story, and can 

 form an opinion whether it affords encouragement for 

 the prosecution of exploration in other quarters." 



ON SOME POINTS RELATING TO THE 

 DYNAMICS OF ''RADIANT MATTER" 

 A S the important researches of Mr. Crookes may be 

 ■^~*- said to have made the evidence of the molecular 

 state of matter (grounded on indirect reasoning) almost 

 ocularly visible — the mechanics of gaseous matter there- 

 fore acquires a fresh interest. As some years back the 

 present writer devoted much thought to the clear reahsa- 

 tion ol the nature of the motions of the molecules of gases 

 in connection with a proposed explanation of the mode of 

 propagation of sound on the basis of the kinetic theory 

 (published in the Philosophical Magazine for June, 1877), 

 it then appeared to him that the systematic regularity of 

 the motions of the molecules of gases was not in practice 

 so generally appreciated as it might be ; aUhough of 

 course the mathematical basis of the subject was well 

 established. It has been not unusual to speak of the 

 extreme " irregidarity " of the normal motions of gaseous 

 molecules— which is undoubtedly true of any molecule 

 taken individually. The comparison of the molecules of 

 a gas to a "swarm of b.es" (sometimes adopted), though 

 no doubt highly convenient and useful to aid the con- 

 ceptions in some respects, has probably gone to support 

 (rather than not) the idea of a kind of confusion in the 

 motions of the constituent molecules of gases ; whereby 

 the systematic regularity (or symmetry of the motion) 

 tends to be left out of view. This w'ill perhaps appear 

 more evident if I state the following proposition in regard 

 to a gas, which is only a direct corollary from the esta- 

 blished mathematical principles — true in every state of 

 the gas, but emphasised by rarefaction. 



The normal motion of the molecules of a gas tahes place 

 in such a way, that every point in the gas is a " radiant 

 point, ' such that matter passes to and from that point {to 

 a certain distance) in the direction of rays ; i.e. as if xt 

 luminous point were situated at the point in question. 

 Or more generally put : If finely subdivided matter be in 

 motion in space according to its own dynamics, every 

 point of space becomes a radiant point ; the extent of the 

 radiation of matter depending on its fineness (other things 

 being equal). 



It is, I believe, the losing sight of the systematic regu- 

 larity (or symmetry) of the motion of the molecules of a 

 gas in its normal state, which (as it would seem, at least) 

 has caused the connection of gaseous motion with the 

 conditions for gravity to be overlooked — or the fact to 

 escape realisation that on rarefying the gas, this symmetry 

 of motion (existing in the normal state of the gas) gradu- 



