» 
_ his last visit to Europe, first conceive 
BOTANY AT §8T. LOUIS 246 
gave a good account of the country which was then much misunderstood 
and misrepresented, and resulted in correcting many erroneous ideas 
regarding that section of the American continent. It contained many 
very valuable data concerning the meteorology, geology, topography and 
botany of the region. Among the valuable results of this tour was a 
botanical collection containing many new plants which were classified 
and described by Dr. Geo. Engelmann, of St. Louis, who commemorated 
the valuable services of Wislizenus to science by applying his name to a 
new genus, Wislizenia, as well as to several of the new species of the col- 
lection. : 
Wislizenus again returned to St. Louis from Washington upon the 
completion of his report, and served faithfully during the cholera epi- 
demic of 1849. As soon as this was over, however, he went to Constan- 
tinople in 1850 to bring back with him as his bride, Miss Lucy Crane, a 
sister-in-law of Hon. Geo. P. Marsh, whom he had met while in Wash- 
ington. After visiting his old home in Thiiringen and the large cities 
of the Old World, the two returned to the United States. Leaving his 
wife with her friends in the east, he went to Panama and California in 
search of a more desirable location. But he again returned to St. Louis 
and finally settled down permanently. He was one of the founders of 
the St. Louis Academy of Science and an active worker and one of the 
officers of the St. Louis Medical Society and of the Western Academy of 
Sciences. He was for many years president of the German Medical So- 
ciety of St. Louis. His barometrical observations and his botanical and 
mineralogical collections, together with his memoir, are distinct addi- 
tions to science. He was interested in meteorology from 1858 till his 
death, and in 1861 he commenced to study the atmospheric electricity 
with the belief that this would be of value in connection with meteorology. 
He discontinued this study, however, upon arriving at the conclusion 
that it was valueless in this connection—a fact which is now generally 
acknowledged. His last days were spent in seclusion, he being aap 
confined to the house by his infirmities ee loss of his sight. He 
died on September 22, 1889, in his eightieth year. 
In 1gs1 there began a most important a a ae el 
: sq 20 at year, Mr. enr. ? 
ment of botany in St. Louis. In ein : 5 ST F agigubaitnw fot aed 
self a country estate on lines similar to those of many of the large i 
lish ones. In fact he had already started to build a home in the oe ry 
district west of St. Louis. 
This idea of a large private estate seems to have soon an ernst 
to that of a botanical garden, for in 1857 he commenced active. a r 
» Trelease, Wm., Mo. Bot. Garden Report, 1: ait ents rh oe. 
5: 1-4, 1902. c The ‘ hondes of Science of St. Louis,” Por. se aR ey 
118-130, 1903. “The Missouri Botanical Garden,” Por. Scr. Mo ’ 
193-221, 1903. 
