790 CARL GEGENBAUR. 



At the aiie of ID Gegenbaiir entered upon the study of medicine 

 and natural science at the University of AViirzburg-. somewhat 

 against the wishes of his parents, though with the idea ah-eady con- 

 ceived of later becoming a naturalist. It was fortunate for him 

 that just at the time that he took up his studies, Wiirzburg had its 

 most brilliant era in medical science. Kolliker and Virchow, two 

 world-renowned men of science, were there, in their prime, as were 

 also such excellent assistants as Leydig and Heinrich Midler. 



After attaining the doctor's degree (April 15, 1851), for which 

 he competed w^ith Kolliker, and after completing his medical studies, 

 (legenbaur could not make up his mind to enter upon the practice 

 of medicine, although he had served for a few semesters as assist- 

 ant to his friend Friedreich on the resident stall' of the Julius hos- 

 pital. It w^as his ardent desire to become a naturalist and to enter 

 upon a university career. Before he installed himself as private 

 instructor, Iiowever, he experienced what he himself terms in his 

 autobiography, a " period of wandering years." He journeyed 

 through North Germany, where in Berlin he made the acquaintance 

 of Johannes Midler. He pursued hurriedly for some weeks a study 

 of the marine animals of Helgoland, and then embarked on an 

 important scientific journey to Italy and Sicily, in which he was 

 encouraged by Kolliker, wdio himself was undertaking with Heinrich 

 Miiller certain zoological investigations in Messina. After Switzer- 

 land and Italy had been traversed, Gegenl)aur arrived with his 

 friends in Messina, and occupied the fall and winter months in a 

 zoological study of Messina's wonderful sea fauna. A journey 

 through Sicily, followed by prolonged stays in Xaples. Rome, and 

 northern Italy, brought the " wandering years " to a close, which 

 period, according to his own statement, constitutes an imj^ortant 

 epoch in the life of the great savant. 



[ In 185-t Gegenbaur was installed in AViirzburg as pri^"ate in- 

 structor of the medical faculty, and taught for three sessions the 

 subject of zoology. 



From here he was called as early as 185() as extraordinary \)Vo- 

 fessor to Jena, as successor to Oscar Schmidt, and as soon thereafter 

 the famous anatom.ist Huschke died, he succeeded to the latt(>r"s 

 position as regular ])rofessor of human anatomy in the medical 

 faculty, wdiich position he occupied until his call to Heidelberg in 

 1873. "Jena," (iegenbaur states in his aut()biograi)liy, "was for 

 me in every respect a high school, in which I i-eceived knowledge 

 in many directions, and everything which I have later acc(»niplished 

 liad there its origin and gives me reason for lasting thanks. 1 regard 

 it as most fortunate for me to ha\'c remained for so long a time in 

 Jena in my youth, the iidluence of which stay is indelibly impressed 

 upon me." 



