602 



pared for his lectures a text-book on Physics, in which many of the 

 subjects were treated in a very original manner. This work was 

 published in 1854. 



To complete, within the limited time he saw before him, the labours 

 he had undertaken, required unusual exertions, which his feeble con- 

 stitution did not enable him to support. His friends remarked with 

 regret the gradual sinking of his forces from the beginning of 1 854 ; 

 he however continued his lectures until a renewed attack of apoplexy 

 suddenly terminated his life on the 7th of July, 1854. "Thus 

 ended," says his biographer, " the noiseless life of a simple and 

 easily contented, but highly gifted man, who lived solely for science, 

 and who had neither sought nor found social advantages, honours, 

 wealth, or what the world is accustomed to consider as chiefly 

 contributing to happiness." About a year before his death, how- 

 ever, the Cross of the Order of Merit of St. Michael was conferred 

 upon him, and he was also made a member of the newly-founded 

 order of Maximilian. 



Ohm was a man of small stature. His countenance, although 

 usually earnest, expressed his good nature and modesty. He was 

 little inclined to conversation, but what he spoke was the expression 

 of his soul, always full of matter, and frequently enlivened with wit 

 and sprightly humour. In his life and habits he was extremely 

 simple, contented and temperate. He was fond of solitude, and 

 to this feeling, as well as to the unfavourable circumstances with 

 which he was surrounded at the commencement of his career, was 

 it perhaps owing that he never sought to establish his domestic 

 happiness by marriage. 



Besides the works alluded to in this notice, he contributed twelve 

 papers to the Journals of Schweigger and Poggendorff. Two of 

 these relate to Acoustics, one to Physical Optics, and the remainder 

 are on Electrical subjects. The latter consist principally of experi- 

 mental verifications of his theory, some published before and some 

 after the appearance of his mathematical treatise. 



The particulars above stated are derived almost entirely from a 

 detailed memoir on the life and writings of this eminent philosopher 

 communicated to the Royal Academy of Sciences of Munich by Dr. 

 J. Lainont. 



