JOHANNES MULLER 5*5 



states after the expulsion of the French. The movement towards a 

 student alliance was then at its height, and this seized strongly upon 

 Miiller, who, as we learn, took a leading part in that rather enthu- 

 siastic association in which the academic students still cherished hopes 

 of a German unity. 



Even these early investigations of Miiller were bringing him to 

 the notice of many of the scientific men of his time. On the occasion 

 of the publication of his work on the " Laws of Animal Motion," Oken, 

 the then famous natural scientist, expressed his high approval together 

 with the wish that Miiller might be permitted to devote himself purely 

 to natural science. Of this course of action, however, there seemed 

 at that time little prospect. After the death of Miiller's father, the 

 small family inheritance lasted but a short while; and from this time 

 until the dawn of his European fame Miiller appears to have been 

 constantly troubled with the distressing problem of obtaining the nec- 

 essary funds for the continuance of his labors; and often even with 

 the question of obtaining food. But in spite of the difficulties which 

 his financial condition enforced upon him, this was on the whole a 

 gay time. The thoughts of the wide possibilities of his chosen voca- 

 tion appear to have maintained the spirit of the youth, and the un- 

 quenchable thirst for knowledge and recognition was gratified at every 

 spring which philosophy, literature, theoretical natural science and 

 careful observation offered. It was also here and during these early 

 years of his study that Miiller contracted the spirit of the Naturphi- 

 losophie, from whose grasp he was freed at a later date through his 

 contact with Eudolphi at Berlin. 



When we consider the trying conditions which surrounded Miiller 

 in this period of his life, it must be considered most fortunate that 

 there stood at the head of the Prussian ministry a man who, more 

 than any other, appears not only to have recognized Miiller's genius, 

 but also to have had the ability to loosen the fetters which bound 

 up Miiller's great gifts. This man was the Minister von Altenstein; 

 and it was he who, by securing a generous government stipend, made it 

 possible for Miiller to spend two years — from the spring of 1823 to 

 the autumn of 1824 — in furthering his scientific studies at Berlin, 

 where Miiller shortly passed his examination for the license to prac- 

 tise his profession of medicine. 



It was here that Miiller had the great good fortune to become the 

 favorite pupil of Eudolphi, who at that time was the most formidable 

 enemy to subjective speculation in biological science, and who already 

 had begun to base physiology — rather exclusively, perhaps — on the 

 actual study of animal structure. It was Rudolphi, moreover, who 

 had the liberality to place at Miiller's disposal his laboratory, his 

 apparatus, his library, and what was still more advantageous, his con- 

 stant oversight and advice. Of the encouraging aid which he received 



