334 NATURAL SCIENCE. February. 



established his reputation. He strongly advocated the view that the 

 phenomena of animal life were explicable on physical and chemical 

 -principles. In 1858, having already been Extraordinary Professor for 

 •some two years, he succeeded his great master as Professor of 

 Physiology in the Berlin University, and held that post till his death 

 — a potent influence for good upon all those who came under his 

 influence, and the founder of an important school of physiology. 

 In 1867 he was appointed Honorary Secretary of the Berlin 

 Academy of Sciences, and this post he very worthily occupied, 

 for he was no mere specialist in his own subject, but a man of wide 

 culture and attainments, as his writings on other subjects testify. The 

 magnificent" Physiological Institute, which was built in Berlin after 

 the war with France and which is one of the most complete and 

 perfect in existence, was planned by Du Bois-Reymond, and here it 

 was his satisfaction to witness the accomplishment of much admirable 

 work by the younger men, Baumann, Fritsch, Kronecker, Goltz and 

 others, who followed in his footsteps. 



In person, he was of a medium height, but of strong frame, and 

 with piercing eyes and a full beard. He possessed remarkable powers 

 as an orator, and was master of a clear and lucid style in lecturing. 

 Not only were his physiological lectures highly appreciated by 

 students, but the weekly popular lectures on general subjects which he 

 ,used to deliver at the University attracted very large audiences. As 

 Secretary to the Academy of Sciences he delivered orations on the 

 occasion of the death of any of the members, which will long be 

 remembered. He was a man of the utmost frankness and sincerity 

 and always stated his convictions in clear and emphatic language : 

 though taking no direct part in politics, he had the reputation of being 

 a Radical. Among his general writings may be mentioned the 

 celebrated " Essay on the Limits of Natural Knowledge," essays on 

 Physiological Teaching, on University Organisation, and on Civilisa- 

 tion and Natural Science. He wrote also on Leibnitz and on Voltaire 

 in their relation to Natural Science. 



In the domain of physiology Du Bois-Reymond remains for all 

 time as the great founder of our knowledge of the electrical phenomena 

 of muscle and nerve. As the direct result of this he played a foremost 

 part in breaking up the vitalist doctrines which had previously held 

 sway in physiology. Of all the bodily functions, muscular and 

 nervous energy were held to be the most clearly "vital" in their 

 nature, and when it was demonstrated that they were associated with 

 and conditioned by definite and measurable physical and chemical 

 changes, vitalism, or at least the old vitalism of our forefathers, 

 received its death-blow. Du Bois-Reymond, indeed, would have 

 nothing to do with the modern revivals of vitalism which have been 

 propounded in recent years by Rindfleisch and others, though at the 

 same time, as his essays shew, he by no means took up the narrow 

 position that every problem must be regarded only from the physical 



