HERBERT N. HULTGREN, M.D.

1917 - 1997

Herb Hultgren arguably made more important contributions to our understanding and management of mountain sickness than anyone in our lifetime. He was my friend and mentor for more than 30 years, and we did some interesting projects together. Herb had a delicious sense of humor not often revealed (though always appropriate). We argued often but usually agreed—and I learned far more than he did from me!

Herb was a giant in the field of mountain medicine and physiology. He knew mountains from his climbs and treks in the Himalayas, Andes, Alps, Rockies and Alaska. He was active in the American Alpine Club for 34 years and a past chairman of its medical committee. He was a dedicated researcher in the basic physiology and the clinical management of mountain sickness. His name is forever linked to High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), a very serious problem that has killed many climbers, trekkers and others who went above a moderate altitude—and he knew more about this than anyone living.

He was widely known and respected as a practicing cardiologist and professor: He was Chief of Cardiology at Stanford for 12 years, and for 16 years at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In 1990, he was given the Albion W. Hewlett Award at Stanford for “the physician of care and skill who is committed to discovering and using biologic knowledge and wisdom and compassion to return patients to productive lives.”

Herb wrote more than 300 medical articles and book chapters, and spoke at many medical meetings throughout the world. During his last five years, he collected all he knew about altitude in a textbook for doctors. Happil,y he saw the published book High Altitude Medicine before he died, at age 80, in October after struggling for a year with acute myelogenous leukemia. His book will be the ultimate authority on the subject.

Herb left many friends and family—and a large gap in medicine.

Charles S. Houston, M.D.