bun8p:n memorial lecture.' 



By Sir Henry Roscoe, B. A., Ph. D., D. C. L., LL. I).. I). S,-.. F. R. s.. 

 Hon. M. D. (Heidelberg). 



Correspondiny member of th,> French Academy of Science, emerifm profemjr of chemist n, iu 

 Victoria University, vice-chancellor of the University of London. 



[Delivered on Marcli 29, 1900.] 



Tlie death of Bun«en at Heidolboro-. on Aiiunist U>. 1,S1»!>. severs the 

 last link connecting the chemists of our tinu' with the great men of 

 the earlier part of the centiuy. AVith Berzelius. of whom Uimsen 

 writes as "my truest friend and counsellor who, during the whole of 

 my scientific life, has stood to me in intimate personal rehitionshi]):"- 

 with Gaj^'-Lussac, in whose laboratory in "Paris he work<'(l in the \ ear 

 1838; with Dumas, whose acquaintance and friendship lie enjoyed 

 when they both were young; with Li(>l)ig and Wcihler. who were more 

 nearly his contemporaries, and for whom throughout their li\es he 

 entertained the warmest feelings of affectionate regard: with the Rer- 

 lin chemists, Mitscherlich and the two Roses, as well as with the older 

 physicists. Dove, Wilhelm Weber, and Magnus, all of whom he counted 

 among his personal friends. 



Moreover, living to the ripe age of 88, he was destined to witness 

 the deaths as well as the scientific births of many distinguished col- 

 leagues and pupils: Of Kirchhoft', Helmholtz, K<)i)p, and Hofmann: 

 of Strecker, Kolbe, Kekule, Pebal. Lothar Meyer; and, lastly, of his 

 successor in the chair of chemistry at Heidelberg. Victor .Meyer. So 

 that in his later years Bunsen stood alone in his gloi-y. like some 

 strong oak in the forest which still holds firm root unnK.ved liy the 

 tempests which have smitten down both old and young around it. 



Nearly twenty years ago I gave, in the columns of Nature, a sketch 

 of the scientific work of him whose memory we are here assi-mbh^d to 



1 From Transactions of The Chemical Society, London, vol. 77, pp. 51.S-."i"i4. 



-Berzelius, on his side, fully appreciated Bnnsen's chai-acter and ahility.^ In 1H4-1 

 he writes to Schonbein apr(j]>os of the latter's ozone cxperiincnt.«: "Yon runsf 

 devote all your time to this so important investigation, yon nnist follow it up- with 

 the true perseverance of a Bunsen. and if possible not abandon it until w.- art- |ht- 

 fectly clear about it." ( Kahlbaum I'.iicfwechsel, Berzelius-SchonlH'in. ISiis. p. .M). ) 



($06 



