56 Translation from Purkinje 



During the interim between the two editions the bitter personal animosity 

 of the anatomist Otto had developed, and to such a degree that the Curator 

 was instructed by the Medical Faculty to recommend that Purkinje be made 

 subordinate to L. C. Treviranus, the botanist. This was not the first or the 

 last time that there was a violent disturbance in a university circle when the 

 reflected glimmer of established dignity began to fade in the light of a major 

 luminary. But Prussian officialdom was still young, and enlightened opinions 

 were not taboo. The authorities knew of Purkinje's heterodox ideas on the 

 teaching of physiology and in 1824 had supported his plan of using laboratory 

 demonstrations to the extent of contributing 50 thaler (150 marks) toward 

 the necessary expenses. Recognizing the importance of his pioneering they 

 replied to the proposal of the faculty by instructing the Curator to express 

 to Purkinje their appreciation of the work he was doing in teaching and 

 research. 



Purkinje's first published work (1819 to 1825) was devoted to the physiology 

 of the sense organs. This work was continued when he struck out into a new 

 field, the early history of the bird's egg. The trail of the germinal vesicle led 

 back to the early ovarian oocytes and taxed the resolving powers of his simple 

 lenses to the utmost. This was true also of the next major investigation, namely 

 the study of the anthers and pollen grains of plants. The need for better optical 

 equipment became increasingly great, for he was fully aware of the possibili- 

 ties of the newly perfected achromatic microscope. His efforts to obtain one 

 met at first with the most determined opposition. The idea of spending 200 

 thaler for an instrument to be used by only one professor was called pre- 

 posterous! However, Purkinje had already laid his plans for a systematic his- 

 tological survey of all tissues and organs so that as soon as the microscope was 

 obtained (in 1832) the great series of histologic studies began (see Studnicka®). 

 The microscope was also used for projection demonstrations and later for 

 photomicrography. 



In 1826 Purkinje demonstrated the germinal vesicle to the Schlesische Ge- 

 sellschaft fiir Vaterlandische Cultur, the reports of which mirror his scientific 

 activity during the Breslau period. At this time he was also studying vertigo, 

 the investigation including experimental lesions of the brain of animals as 

 well as pharmacological experiments on himself. 



Only a small edition of the Symbolae was published by the University of 

 Breslau in 1825; according to Cole" there are only half a dozen copies of it 

 known at the present time. In the second edition, published by L. Voss in 

 Leipzig (1830), the format is larger, the type bolder, and section headings are 

 included. Various footnotes with references to the literature were added (see 

 translator's note ii) and several paragraphs were rewritten, especially those 

 dealing with the disappearance of the germinal vesicle and the formation of 

 the shell membrane. The personal remarks addressed to Blumenbach at the 

 beginning and end of the "Gmtulatiojubrief" of 1825 were condensed into 

 the brief "Praefatio" of the 1830 edition. 



