THE EVEREST CLIMB

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 31, 5 August 1933, Page 12

THE EVEREST CLIMB

PHYSIOLOGICAL SIDE

SCIENCE TAKES A HAND

SOME DISCOVERIES

Tho physiological problems involved in an ascent of Mount Everest have been discussed by Mr. B. K. and Mr. B. H. C. Matthews in an interesting contribution to "Cambridge University Studies" (says the "Manchester Guardian"). Mr. B: H. C. Matthews became well known while still a student at Cambridge for his invention of an instrument for measuring the frequency of electrical impulses in nerves. Much physiological research on tho behaviour of the body in atmospheres at low pressure such as exist on Mount Everest has been done in the Department of Physiology at Cambridge, in which he is now .Assistant Director of Research. Tho work of this department on tho nature of • respiration and the properties of tho blood has become classical, and was inspired and directed by Professor Barcroft. Students 'of the physiological aspects of high-altitude ascents naturally looked to him for assistance. The physiological laboratory coutains an airtight glass room in which the pressure of tho oxygen may be reduced to that existing at a height of 15,000----18,000 feet in the atmosphere. Professor Barcroft has lived in this glass room under these conditions'for a week, during which the changes in his blood and respiration were accurately measured. The observations led to an. understanding of the breathlessnoss which afflicts persons at high altitudes, and of other peculiarities in the functioning of the human body. CAN BE CLIMBED. These experiments have been extended during the last year to a study of the effects of air pressures equivalent to those at 40,000 feet. Two research workers have withstood these low pressures for a few hours within a glass chamber. While confined they were supplied with extra oxygen from an oxygen apparatus and were able to do physical work equivalent to the climbing of 1000 feet in an hour without being unduly distressed. This research has shown that Mount Everest could certainly be climbed if the climbers can bo supplied with suitable oxygen apparatus. The production of apparatus which is light, convenient, and reliable is a problem in design, and should < be solved through further engineering research. • 1 • V. The use of oxygen apparatus m lugn. climbing relieves the human body from the task of becoming completely acclimatised to' living at high altitudes. This may make a danger, for the unacclimatiscd climber using an oxygen apparatus at a great height may be overcome if tho apparatus should byaccident fail. The study of acclimatisation is therefore equally necessary. The Cambridge workers have studied the physiology of the natives of Ccrro da Pasco in Peru, because they can live permanently at heights which make all visitors sick. Within the last few months remarkable information bearing on the respiratory processes of the Ccrro da Pascovans has been gained from a study of the respiration of unborn dogs. Before a clog or a human baby is born it is supplied with oxygen from its mothers's blood. It is not able to get much oxygen and has to adapt itself to growth while severely limited in its —oxygen supply. It is believed that tho Corro da Pascovan babies may never entirely lose their prenatal adaptation to a low oxygen consumption, ana that this enables them to grow up specially adapted to the Andean atmospheres. THE KEY TO SUCCESS. Apparently the unborn baby's lack of oxygen keeps its nervous centres and respiratory mechanism quiescent. When it is born and comes into an environment rich in oxygen its respiratory mechanism is stimulated, and it begins the variegated activity of familiar life. The easy mastery- of Mount Everest"may depend on .the climber's acclimatisation to atmospheres containing little oxygen by a recovery of physiological processes he lost when he was born. The low pressure of the air, and hence shortage of oxygen, is not the only serious condition which hinders mountaineers. They are hindered also by cold. Cold temperatures are a much greater strain at high than at low altitudes. When the cold, dry air is breathed it absorbs much warm moisture from the lungs. In this way it removes much heat from the body. When the breathing is very fast, as at high altitudes with low pressures which cause ■ the lungs to work rapidly in order to collect enough oxygen for the''blood, the body will lose more heat by this process than at sea-level, where such rapid breathing is not necessary. Tho body produces its own heat by combining the oxygen with its own material; the food is burnt in oxygen absorbed through the lungs. When the pressure of oxygen in the air is low the body is' not able to produce so much internal heat by combustion because it is not able to get sufficient oxygen to keep its fires up. CAN MAKE LESS. As a man goes up a mountain his capacity of producing bodily heat from the breathing of oxygen decreases, while his capacity of losing bodily; heat through moisture from the lungs and rapid breathing increases. Thus above a certain altitude a man must continually lose bodily heat through respiration more rapidly than he can maks it through respiration, if he uses no apparatus. This critical height is somewhat below the' summit of Mount Everest. Research has been done at Cambridge for making respirators which will reduce this cooling effect of rapid breathing at very high altitudes. A respirator has been invented which will recover the heat and moisture lost and uso it to warm and moisten the fresh air being breathed into tho lungs. It has been tested in chambers cooled to minus 40deg. c, which is a much lower temperaturo than is known to occur on Everest. Tho air sucked through it is found to be warmed nearly to body temperature. The respirator has also been tested at low air pressures. Several respirators have been designed after the experimental model, and were being tried by the climbers of this year's expedition.