The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-08-04
Mr.. Wymper's Experiments with
"MountaIn-SickneSS.'

~ apA0
FAME!
Mr.. Edward Wymper, in relating the
story Of his ascent of the mountains
Chimborazo and Cotopaxi, has describ-
ed the efforts which he made to cOun-
teract the mountain sickness or sense
Of exhaustion and teverishness which
attacks all persons who Venture 70 great
heights. TIL his W attempt was
mai-. he had not known Of any traveller
affi rted with the peculiar feeling who
had deliberately "sa 1t out. All had a
pitched battle with the enemy. OF II
any one who bad suggested the rare
pc >ibility of coming out victorious
trom such an encounter. Vet, upon do
inr %. he felt. depended the chance oi
pushing explorations INTO the highest
regions of the earth n ne was an
xious TO test whether his organization
could not accommodate itself TO the re-
duired conditions. Only three we'll
authenticated instances We're known OF
persons who had reached the height Of
twenty thousand feet, and their stories
rave no light on the subject but 4
person who had reached the height OF
between seventeen and eighteen thou.-
and feet told him that. though he never
had suffered from the affection, he
could not escape it at such elevations.
On the first day of his ascent Of Chin
borazo. he reached a height of ii, 400
feet. On the next day he reached To-
800 feet. and established himself there
with great difficulty. The mules were
forced up to the very last yard they
could 90, and, staggering under their
burdens, which were scarcely more than
halt tie weight they were accustomed
to carry, stopped repeatedly, and by
their tremblings aud falling on then
knees, and general behavior, showed
that they had been driven to the very
verge of exhaustion" Within an hour
Mr.. Whymper and his Italian noun
taineers, the Carrels, We're lying on their
backs, Incapable of~making the least ex-
ertion, feverish, with intense headaches,
and unable to satisfy their desire for
air, except by breathing with open
mouths. This naturally parched the
throat. and produced a craving for
drir k which we were unable TO satisfy,
partly from the difficulty OF obtaining
it, aud partly from the difficulty OF
swallowing it, for, when we got enough,
we were unable to drink, We could only
sip; and not to save our lives could we
have taken a quarter OF a put at a
draught. Before one tenth of 1t was
down, we were obliged to stop for
breath, and gasp again, until our Threats
were as dry as ever. Besides having
our normal rate of breathing largely &C.
tolerated, we found it impossible to get
along without every now and then CIV
ing a spasmodic gulp, just ike fishes
when taken out of the water. OF course,
there was no desire to eat; but we wish
cd to smoke; and ever our pipes al
most refused to burn, for they, like our
selves, wanted more oxygen lie OBJ
tanned relief by taxing chlorate of pot
ash, and IN Two or three days the party
had become accustomed to the situa-
ton, and were able to continue their
work. The next camp was pitched at
a height of Il, 400 feet. The more dis.
agreeable symptoms had gone, but the
mountaineers still found themselves
Comparatively lifeless and feeble, with
a strong disposition to sit down when
we ought to have been moving 1t
length. having spent three days IN NOV
ing their camp, and having passed a
night at the highest station. they un-
dertook the ascent to the summit. 1t
was extremely difficult made in the face
of Il high wind and through soft snoac IN
arhich the men sunk to their necks, but
it was accomplished, the measurement
of the height was taken. and the return
safely made to the camp. all IN one day.
The most notable physical experience
Of the ascent was observation, at a
height of between lS,4oO and 10, 800
feet, that 'our steps got shorter and
shorter, until at last the toe of one
touched the heel of the previous one
Mr.. Whymper's residence on Chlmbo-
raZo extended over seventeen DAYS
one night was passed at a height of 49,
400 feet, ten nights at a height of To-
500 feet, six at 1890 feet. During
this time, besides the ascent to the
summit, [ also went three times as
high as Is, 800 feet. When we quilted
the mountain, all traces of mountain
sickness had disappeared, nor did it
touch us again until We arrived at the
summit of Cotopaxi." The camp on
the latter mountain was placed about
100 feet below the Hottest point, or at
a height of 1910 feet, land was the
most elevated position at which any Of
us had ever lived"