Agassis at 



he, "had always resulted from the clash of opposing 

 theories. All that was needed was the eager follow- 

 ing of truth as each one saw it. In the history of 

 geology Prof. Agassiz has told us that from tho 

 discussions of the Noptunists and the Plutonists 

 have arisen a more thorough knowledge of the 

 scope of the agency exerted hy water and lire in the 

 formation of the earth's cvust than would have heeu 

 possible without that stimulus." He, in addition, 

 spoke of the lasting good resulting to the study of 

 logarithms hy the coutentions between the French 

 and German mathematicians over a trivial subject 

 apparently, viz.: Which was the better sign, the 

 letter c, or the letter h ? 



Some one in the class here suggested that the same 

 kind of good to natural history might resuit from 

 debates between the evolutionists and the non-evo- 

 lutionists. 



"Well," replied Agassiz, rather evasively, "per- 

 sonally 1 like Mr. Darwin very much ; he is my 

 friend." 



Here a cluster of pupils began making merry. 



" What is it ? Let us have it !" 



A Voice " Darwin's son Frank was onre told that 

 Agassiz did not accept evolution. ' That's all right,' 

 said Frank; ' father does not believe in the glacial 

 theory.' " [Laughter.] 



"Well, now," said Agassiz, turning to Prof. 

 Wilder, " Dr. Wilder, give us some fish." 



Pcnflcese. 65 



But no, we were doomed to go without that cours* 

 to our feast. 



Dr. Wilder arose a prompt, nervous man, with a 

 crisp, well modulated voice. "Prof. Agassiz," he 

 began, "is the director here, and when ho says any- 

 thing is to be done, it is done. But I must confess 

 that, after listening to tho delightful exercises of 

 this morning, I have become rebellious, and I won't 

 say anything about fish." [Laughter.] 



The Doctor then went on to say how he had been 

 reflecting on the subject of freedom of thought as a 

 necessity to true progress, and deemed it a fit occa- 

 sion to have the position of the scientific world with 

 respect to the theological world fairly defined. He 

 then boldly launched out into the field of the rela- 

 tions between natural and revealed religions. He 

 contended that there should bo no compromise. 

 The Bible and Nature stand confessed as the reve- 

 lations of the one God, and, moreover, it was never 

 intended they should conflict. 



I cannot follow him, nor the remarks which his 

 address called forth. Tbe occasion had become a 

 solemn one. A long silence ensued after this hist 

 topic, which had grown so naturally out of the first 

 address of Prof. Peirce. Each one was apparently 

 thinking the same thought, drinking in the same 

 influence. I felt as well as others present, while 

 the storm beat about us, as one withdrawn from 

 the world for a time. As I now write of that scene, 

 its truth and beauty return in all their force. 



CAUSES OF THE D 



On Jan. 26, 1874, Dr. Morrill Wyman of Cam- 

 bridge, Mass., completed bis work on the 

 autopsy of Prof. Agassiz, and made a report, 

 from which, the following interesting state- 

 ments are taken: 



The autopsy was made at Cambridge, Dec. 

 16, 1873, by Drs. R. H. Fitz and J. J. Putnam ; 

 present, Drs. J. B. S. Jackson, J. Wyman, C. 

 Ellis, M. Wyman, and S. G. Webber. It was 

 conducted in tbe interests of science, and in 

 accordance with the wishes of the great nat- 

 uralist, expressed several years ago. 



The arteries at the base of: the brain showed 

 evidence of extensive cbronic disease of their 

 lining membrane, with narrowing of the cali- 

 ber of the carotids. In these arteries were 

 very important changes. Commencing at an 

 inch below the anterior edge of the pons 

 varolii and extending downward, the walls of 

 the left vertebral artery were stiff, in part 

 calcified, and its linings loose. At half an 

 inch from the point just mentioned, imme- 



KATH OE AGASSIZ. 



diately over the left olivary body, was 

 a reddish-yellow, opaque, friable plug 

 (thrombus) completely obstructing the vessel ; 

 still lower was another more recent, but prob- 

 ably ante-mortem, plug. The first was one- 

 quarter of au inch loug, the second four 

 inches long. A third plug, an inch long, was 

 above the first, and touching it. 



In the left ventricle of the heart, there was a 

 firm organized clot of the size of a peach stone 

 attached to the wall at the anterior portion near 

 the septum; around this clot a more recent one 

 had formed, its center softened and granular. 

 From this, probably, some small portions had 

 been carried by the blood to the arteries in 

 the base of the brain, doing their part in ob- 

 structing them and causing the fatal changes 

 above described. The lungs were adherent to 

 the ribs on both sides of the chest, the evi- 

 dence of old inflammations. The other oigans 

 were healthy. 



