120 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
himself; and least of all would he suffer himself to be ensnared into 
any sort of diseussion, whieh might demand an exhibition of his scien- 
tific views and doctrines. His academical auditors were thus kept at 
a respectful distance from him. It was only upon occasions when 
- mention was made of his illustrious master, or of the Linnean school 
at Upsala, which he had attended, that he became animated, and would 
relax into a communicative mood ; he would then relate many interest- 
ing anecdotes, especially during the extensive botanical excursions he 
used to make about Erlangen in former years. So far back as 1760, 
he had attained the degree of Doctor of Medicine at Upsala, the great 
northern metropolis of the muses; and this was the most luminous 
point of his life; for when the conversation happened to turn in that 
direction, the otherwise reserved, didactic, and taciturn Schreber, would 
become all of a sudden cheerful and eloquent. I should probably, as a 
younger man, have remained at a distance from him all my days, partly 
out of respect for his great knowledge, and partly also in deference to 
his aristocratic character, had he not, on the demise of Prof. Delius, 
succeeded to the chemical chair in the university ; and death, which 
mostly breaks up connections, seemed in this instance to bring me into 
immediate contact with Schreber. Although he possessed an extensive 
theoretical knowledge in the science of chemistry, and always availed 
himself of the most approved authors in it, he had never troubled him- 
self about the operative or practical part. He had a dread of mineral - 
acids; and I will be bound to say, he had never in his life handled a 
crucible or retort. In this state of things his chemical lectures were 
begun, and with them my practical duties as his assistant. My father- 
in-law* had, besides myself and another assistant, two apprentices, S0 
that I was enabled to undertake my new office without detriment to 
our business. , 
Schreber's course of lectures was often very instructive; but, unfor- 
. tunately, his preparation for the requisite experiments did not always 
keep equal paee with these, owing to his extreme anxiety and want of 
decision, which stood in the way of his making timely provisions. On 
my calling on him he would say, “We are to boil soap to-day." It 
was in vain that I explained that, not having had previous notice, all I 
could do was to make use of some solution of caustic alkali I had in 
* Mr. E. W. Weinl in whose dispensary our author was employed at the time, 
