T.H. Ravenhill, mountain sickness, and peruvian contributions to high- altitude pulmonary edema.

Abstract

Thomas Holmes Ravenhill (1881-1952) was a key figure in the history of mountain sickness but the importance of his contributions has only recently been appreciated. He gave the first convincing clinical descriptions of high-altitude pulmonary edema and high-altitude cerebral edema, and his classification of mountain sickness is the one we use today. However after its publication in 1913, his paper dropped out of sight and was essentially forgotten for 50 years. In the meantime, high-altitude pulmonary edema was independently described with accuracy and detail in Peru but unfortunately the information was not known outside South America. It was not until Herbert N. Hultgren, M.D. visited Oroya in 1959 that the non-Spanish speaking world were made aware of these important advances.