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Physiological and Medical Aspects of the Himalayan Scientific and Mountaineering Expedition

1962; BMJ; Volume: 2; Issue: 5305 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1136/bmj.2.5305.621

0959-8138

L. G. C. E. Pugh,

Climate Change and Health Impacts

The Himalayan Scientific and Mountaineering Expedi- tion of 1960-61, led by Sir Edmund Hillary, set out from Katmandu on September 14, 1960, and returned in June, 1961, having spent eight months above 15,000 ft.(4,570 m.).It was the first expedition to winter in the Himalayas at high altitude and the first to spend more than six weeks at or above 19,000 ft.(5,790 m.).To do this a much higher standard of protection from the weather was necessary than is usual on climbing expedi- tions, and a prefabricated hut was taken out to the Himalayas in sections.The hut was set up at the head of the Ming Bo glacier at an altitude of 19,000 ft.(5,790 m.) (barometric pressure 380 mm.Hg) and occupied continuously for five and a half months.There was also a staging camp at 18,000 ft.(5,480 m.) and a tented base camp at 15,100 ft.(4,600 m.).In May, 1961, the expedition moved over to Mt. Makalu (27,790 ft.; 8,470 m.) for an attempted ascent of the mountain without oxygen equipment.Oxygen equipment was, however, provided for medical and rescue purposes. Scientific ObjectivesThe scientific programme consisted of physiology, zoology, glaciology, and meteorology.The main emphasis was on physiology, as is evident from the composition of the scientific team.The objectives in this field were to fill in certain gaps in our knowledge of man's adaptation to extreme altitude, and to study some of the effects of oxygen lack on men living at or above the limit of altitude at which complete acclimatization is possible.The composition of the wintering party with whose work this communication is chiefly concerned is given below.Other scientists were with the expedition for shorter periods, mainly in the first three months.