Abstract
IN the year 1869 both Dr. Wm. Marcet, of Nice,* and Dr. Lortet, of Lyons,† published the results of thermo-metric experiments prosecuted by themselves on themselves during the ascent of Mont Blanc. Both physiologists discovered that during the act of ascent, if it were rapid and prolonged for any considerable time, the temperature of the body fell considerably, as much as 3.6° F. in the case of the English, and even 8.6° F. of the French observer. The temperature was taken in the mouth, and read off by means of a small reflector attached to the thermometer, which is a much more satisfactory manner of recording reducing temperatures than the employment of maximum registering instruments. Dr. Marcet tells us that in order to assure himself that the cooling of the body during the ascent was really due to the muscular effort, and not to the effect of the rarefaction of the air, he made one ascent (from Cormayeur to the plateau of Mont-Frety, about 2,440 yards high) partly on mule-back. After having gone two-thirds the distance, his temperature was 97.5° F., when, leaving the mule, he performed the rest of the journey on foot as quickly as possible. Just before arriving at the end, his temperature was not above 95° F., or 2.5° below what it was thirty-five minutes before, at the lower level. Another peculiarity observed by this author is that the body-temperature, after having diminished during an ascending walk, rapidly rose again upon rest being taken, or on the speed being reduced.
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G., A. On the Temperature of the Human Body During Mountain-Climbing . Nature 12, 132–133 (1875). https://doi.org/10.1038/012132a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/012132a0