GEORGE ENGELMANN, M.D. 15 



ally the active workers in their scientific undertakings ; and of 

 the bright hopes he always entertained for the future existence of 

 the Academy. However, still darker days awaited it, for in May, 

 1S69, its hall and museum were both destroyed by fire, only the 

 library being saved ; and in his annual address of January, 1871, 

 while reviewing the history of the Academy, he lamented as 

 follows : 



"It is that of many similar institutions. Begun with a great 

 deal of zeal, members were numerous and full of good cheer and 

 promise ; the meetings were well attended ; scientific papgrs were 

 read, discussions followed, and in the succeeding year (1857) 

 the first number of our Transactions could be published." Other 

 numbers followed, and two fine volumes "of valuable scientific 

 matter, the greater part of it original additions to difterent 

 branches of learning" had been completed. "These publications 

 attracted the attention of the scientific world, and brought us the 

 most liberal exchanges from nearly all the learned societies in 

 America and in Europe, and in fact the whole civilized world. 

 Through these exchanges we have amassed a library of great 

 value, which money could not buy." ..." There are draw- 

 backs that money could remedy. Money would build up a mu- 

 seum ; money can, by paying competent curators, keep it in pro- 

 per condition, and make it a means of instruction and ornament 

 to the city. And money, if properly applied for, could be ob- 

 tained in so rich a city as St. Louis, where a kindred institution, 

 the Mercantile Library Association, has just celebrated its 25th 

 anniversary with the most glowing prospects of future and in- 

 creased success. But what money cannot do is to get us men of 

 science — men who are willing to devote their labors, at least that 

 of their leisure hours, to the building up of such an Academy as 

 we had in view fifteen years ago, and still have in view, though 

 the vista may be more distant." 



Thus every change that occurred in the prosperity of the Aca- 



