beginnings

 

Beginnings of the Hypoxia Symposia


Like many new ideas it is difficult to date exactly the origins of the Hypoxia Symposia: they are the fruit of many persons' work and dreams. The fall of 1973 is as close as we can come. Himalayan mountaineering was flourishing by then and it had become obvious that many climbers - and casual tourists and even doctors - knew little about many of the hazards of altitude.

Believing that the early Everest climbers had valuable knowledge of altitude to share, in the fall of 1973 Dr Charles Houston, with help from the Alpine Club, invited a dozen of the great British mountaineers to a meeting in London to talk about their personal experiences on the highest mountains. Among them were Noel Odell, Bill Tilman and Raymond Greene. Dr Mike Ward set the stage by summarizing what was known about altitude illnesses. Though no written record survives, the discussion was so stimulating that the Alpine Club organized a larger meeting in March 1975 in Wales, the proceedings of which were published a year later (1). In July 1975, the eighth year of high altitude research on Mount Logan (2), Drs
John Sutton and Charles Houston gave several informal seminars about various aspects of altitude physiology and medicine to some of the team who served as subjects for the research. These people, many of them climbers and students, were enthusiastic, suggesting that other mountaineers and scientists might also be interested. Accordingly, Houston and the Yosemite Institute organized a three day meeting in Yosemite National Park. At this nervously planned meeting many aspects of mountain medicine were discussed by experts in altitude, cold injury, trauma, medical evacuations and other topics of importance to climbers, trekkers and casual visitors to the mountains. This Mountain Medicine One was so successful that three more were held, one in Yosemite and two, sponsored by the Arctic Institute, in Banff, the immediate ancestors of the Hypoxia Symposia.

The objectives of the early Mountain Medicine Symposia were well defined: to offer the best available information about mountain hazards not only for doctors but also for climbers, hikers and others who might be in harms way in the mountains. Each attracted a large audience. Authorities like Noel Odell from England, Bo Siesjo from Sweden, Jacques Foray from France and many mountaineers spoke, and other scientists presented abstracts of their work for the medical audience. In 1978 Everest was climbed, au naturel as it were. And as more climbers tried the high mountains, more deaths from altitude illness were recorded, and in 1979 the main thrust Of the meeting in Banff was on research in oxygen transport and utilization, with one of the four days designed for mountaineers. For this meeting the name Hypoxia Symposium was used for the first time.

Of historical interest are the misgivings which clouded this change in emphasis. Some said that mountaineers wouldn't come; others warned that true scientists were already over-committed. Many doubted that there would be enough new material to attract the best scientists. These fears proved groundless: climbers did come, and outstanding scientists eagerly accepted an invitation to speak. We were determined to keep the cost modest, but even so the only real problem (which turned out to be perennial) was lack of money!

The programs, planned for every other year, got better and better, more and more authorities and an international audience came to listen or talk, and more junior scientists presented research abstracts. Subsequent meetings were designed for scientists exploring all aspects of hypoxia - due to altitude or illness in man as well as in birds, fish, insects and mammals.

At present the scientific presentations are sophisticated, but also, respecting the origin of the meetings, one day of each Symposium is devoted to Mountain Medicine including clinical cases and practical advice for mountaineers.Mountain medicine has become fashionable and many similar symposia have evolved in different countries to discuss trauma, rescue, avalanches and other mountain hazards, in addition to altitude. At each Hypoxia Symposium the Day in Mountain Medicine stresses altitude hypoxia and many climbers come only for this day. Many scientists who are not mountaineers also attend the Day in Mountain Medicine looking for clues to relevance for their research. The last four symposia have been dedicated to a scientist who has contributed significantly to the physiology of hypoxia. The easy access to great outdoor winter sports in the Canadian Rockies does not detract from or distract the audience.

Since 1981 the Proceedings of the Symposia have been printed, but unfortunately the first four books are out of print. Some copies of the recent ones are
still available. In the quarter century since our Symposia began the quality of the program and enthusiasm of the audience continue to increase. Scientists and mountaineers from 20-25 countries participate and the Proceedings are widely cited. John Sutton's untimely death saddened all but will not diminish the quality of these meetings.

C.S. Houston, Burlington, August 1997

References
(1975 to 1997)
1. Mountain Medicine and Physiology. Clarke, C., Ailliams, E., Ward, M. London: The Alpine Club, 1975.
2. High Altitude Physiology Study. Houston, C.S. Burlington, Vermont: Queen City Printers, 1980.
3. Hypoxia: Man at Altitude. Sutton, J.R., Jones N.L., Houston, C.S. New York: Thieme-Stratton, 1982.
4. Hypoxia, Exercise, and Altitude. Sutton J.R., Houston, C.S., Jones, N.L. New York: A.L. Liss, 1983.
5. Hypoxia and Cold. Sutton, J.R., Houston, C.S., Coates, G. New York: Prager, 1987.
6. Hypoxia, The Tolerable Limits. Sutton, J.R., Houston, C.S., Coates, G. Indianapolis: Benchmark Press, 1988. Hypoxia: The Adaptations. Sutton, J.R., Coates, G., Remmers, J.E. Philadelphia: Decker, 1990.
7. Hypoxia and Mountain Medicine. Sutton, J.R, Houston, C.S., Coates, G. Burlington Vermont: Queen City Printers, 1992.
8. Hypoxia and Molecular Medicine. Sutton, J.R., Houston, C.S., Coates, G. Burlington Vermont: Queen City Printers, 1993.
9. Hypoxia and the Brain. Sutton, J.R., Houston, C.S., Coates, G. Burlington Vermont: Queen City Printers, 1995.
10. Women and Altitude. Houston, C.S. and G. Coates. Burlington Vermont: Queen City Printers, 1997.
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Chronology
1973 Fall meeting in London. Michael Baker and Charles Houston. Michael Ward presided
1975 (March) in Wales. Alpine Club sponsored, Ward and Williams planned
1975 (October) MMS1 in Yosemite. Yosemite Institute sponsored, Houston chaired
1976 (April) MMS2 in Banff. AINA and YI sponsored
1979 MMS3 in Banff. AINA sponsored. Houston chaired
1979 (March) in Banff: Hypoxia 1
1980 MMS4 in Yosemite. YI, AINA and Sandoz sponsored, Houston chaired
1981 (January) in Banff: Hypoxia 2: Man at Altitude
1983 (January) in Banff. Hypoxia 3: Exercise and Altitude
1985 (February) in Lake Louise. Hypoxia 4: Hypoxia and Cold
1987 Hypoxia 5: The Tolerable Limits
1989 Hypoxia 6: The Adaptations
1991 Hypoxia 7: Hypoxia and Mountain Medicine
1993 Hypoxia 8: Hypoxia and Molecular Medicine
1995 Hypoxia 9: Hypoxia and the Brain
1997 Hypoxia 10: Women and Altitude (Lake Louise)
1999 Hypoxia 11: Hypoxia: Into the Next Millennium (Jasper)
2001 Hypoxia 12: Hypoxia: From Genes to the Bedside (Jasper)
2003 Hypoxia 13: Hypoxia: Through the Life Cycle (Banff)
2005 Hypoxia 14: Hypoxia and Exercise (Lake Louise)

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