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last letter, that you would not find much matter of impor- 

 tance in Mayer's writings: I am astonished at the multi- 

 tude of beautiful and correct thoughts which they con- 

 tain"; and he goes on to point out various important 

 subjects in the treatment of which Mayer had anticipated 

 other eminent writers. My other friend, in whose own 

 publications the name of Mayer repeatedly occurs, and 

 whose papers containing these references were translated 

 some years ago by myself, was, on the 10th of last month, 

 unacquainted with the thoughtful and beautiful essay of 

 Mayer's, entitled "Beitrage zur Dynamik des Himmels," 

 and in 1854, when Professor William Thomson developed 

 in so striking a manner the meteoric theory of the sun's 

 heat, he was certainly not aware of the existence of that 

 essay, though from a recent article in "Macmillan's Maga- 

 zine" I infer that he is now aware of it. Mayer's physio- 

 logical writings have been referred to by physiologists 

 by Dr. Carpenter, for example in terms of honoring 

 recognition. We have hitherto, indeed, obtained frag- 

 mentary glimpses of the man, partly from physicists and 

 partly from physiologists; but his total merit has never 

 yet bee a recognized as it assuredly would have been had 

 he chosen a happier mode of publication. I do not think 

 a greater disservice could be done to a man of science 

 than to overstate his claims: such overstatement is sure 

 to recoil to the disadvantage of him in whose interest it 

 is made. But when Mayer's opportunities, achievements 

 and fate are taken into account, I do not think that I 

 shall be deeply blamed for attempting to place him in 

 that honorable position which I believe to be his due. 



Here, however, are the titles of Mayer's papers, the 

 perusal of which will correct any error of judgment into 



