47 



He hardly dared to eat, spent his days studying, and gradually 

 became thinner, more yellow and weaker. He could not sleep well at 

 night, often feil asleep in his study, and could only walk in his garden. 

 He bore his sorrow quietly and with resignation, and did not complain. 

 He sat lost in thought for hoürs, looking at the sailing clouds. His 

 tihoughts were still always turned to his constant love, science. Pro- 

 blems of the bacteriophage, of the expanding universe, and of phyl- 

 lotaxis in connection with the constant of Euler, filled his mind. In 

 September 1930 the actual suffering started. He began to dislike salt, 

 did not want to see visitors, and even wrote a note of apology to his 

 friend HuGO de Vries who had expressed his desire to visit him. Still 

 greater was the suffering of his only remaining sister, who saw him 

 waste away with great distress and could do so little for her brother, 

 the only relation who was left her. 



In November he got very much worse, but his mind remained clear. 

 After December lOth he had to stay in bed. His weakness was great, 

 but the pains were still endurable. On December 22nd he wrote in 

 pencil his last letter to the author, giving his advice how to proceed 

 with the problem of the bacteriophage. The advice ended with the 

 words: "The way is long, but almost certain." The problem of phyllo- 

 taxis and all sorts of mathematical questions rushed through his tired 

 brain, and he became very anxious to consult a mathematician on 

 this subject. 



Then the great Rest came; and after a day of suffering this high- 

 priest of science died almost imperceptibly on Thursday January Ist, 

 1931 between 8 and 9 o'clock at night. 



Next day the author saw him on his death-bed, hardly changed, his 

 eyes were deep in their sockets. He was like his bereaved sister wrote 

 in her diary: "noble and profound, calm and peaceful, asif thankful 

 that his suffering and struggles had come to an end." 



On January 6th the cremation of the mortal remains took place 

 with little ceremony at \\'esterveld, Velzen, in the presence of his 

 sister, and of numerous friends and admirers. According to Beije- 

 rinck's wishes no speeches were made i). His only nephew, Mr. J. F. 

 Beijerinck, offered thanks for the last honours. 



The author still hears the words Beijerinck once spoke to him, 

 when faced with approaching death: "Implora aeterna quiete, im- 

 plora pace." 



May he have obtained this .... 



i) Obituary articles appeared in several newspapers and periodicals. For a list of 

 these see Appendix K. 



