Felix Savart. 259 



The declining health of I'Huillier obliged him at length to resign 

 a professorship which he had held during five-aad-twenty years, and 

 the duties of which he had ever discharged with the most unde- 

 viating regularity, and the most scrupulous exactness. Even while 

 suffering acutely from a painful attack of sciatica, he insisted on 

 being carried to his class, lest any detriment should arise to his 

 pupils from an interruption to his lectures. Many of these pupils 

 have subsequently ilistinguished themselves in their scientific career ; 

 among these may be cited one of our illustrious foreign members, 

 Professor Sturm. 



For the simplicity of his manners and the strict integrity of his 

 character, I'Huillier was no less remarkable than for the vigour 

 and extent of his mathematical powers : by these qualities he was 

 endeared to his friends, and esteemed and respected by all, during 

 a life protracted beyond the ordinary duration. His death occurred 

 on the 28th of March, 1 84-0, when he had nearly completed his 90tli 

 year, with a constitution, however, which had some time previously 

 been shattered and broken down by the infirmities incident to so 

 advanced an age*. 



Felix Savart, a philosopher distinguished more especially for 

 his researches in the science of Acoustics, was born on the 30th of 

 June, 1791, at M^zieres, the capital of the Department of the Ar- 

 dennes, in France. He very early exhibited a decided turn for me- 

 chanical invention, and his greatest delight was to contrive and con- 

 struct with his own hands musical instruments and apparatus il- 

 lustrative of Natural Philosophy, a study of which he was passion- 

 ately fond. His parents had been connected with the school of 

 engineers at Mezieres; and several of his relations having been di- 

 stinguished as artists, he was himself educated with a view to the 

 same destination. But the family afterwards removing to Metz, the 

 path which had at first been marked out for him was abandoned, 

 and he prepared himself for another profession, by directing his 

 whole attention to medicine. In course of time he obtained the 

 appointment of Assistant Surgeon in the Military Hospital. Not 

 satisfied with this probation, be, in 1814', repaired to Strasburg for 

 the purpose of prosecuting his medical studies in the Military 

 Hospital of that town ; and he subsequently, in 1816, took a degree 

 in medicine in the University. He then returned to his paternal 

 roof at Metz, with the intention of settling, and of applying himself 

 diligently to the practice of his profession. But on being restored 

 to the scene of his youthful occupations, tiic renewed sight of those 

 philosophical instruments to which so many delightful associations 

 were attached, rekindled in full force the innate predilection for the 

 physical sciences, which, during so long an interval, had lain dor- 

 mant in his briast. The charms of science, arrayed in her most 

 attractive colours, glittered befoie his imagination, and were con- 

 trasted, in his ardent mind, with the cares, the toils, and the anxie- 



• The above account is derived from a bio;:»r;ipbicul notice by Professor 

 Dc l^a Rive, wliicli forms part of the Compte rendu del'clat de linslruclion 

 jmbliqne de Geni've pendant iannee .irolaire, 1839-1840. 



S2 



