NA TURE 



297 



THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1878 



THEODORE SCHWANN 



ON Sunday, June 23 last, a very interesting ceremony 

 took place at the University of Lidge, in Belgium, 

 in honour of Schwann, the famous author (with his fellow- 

 worker Schleiden) of the so-called "cell theory." So 

 rapid has been of late years the progress in our know- 

 ledge of the minute structure of animals and plants that 

 Schwann's name seems already to belong to the distant 

 past, and not a few biologists appear to have been, up to 

 the last few months, under the impression that the dis- 

 tinguished author of the " Microscopical Investigations 

 into the Identity in Structure and Growth of Animals and 

 Plants " had long ago been laid in the grave. We rejoice 

 to say that, on the contrary, he is alive and to outward 

 appearance hale and vigorous, though he has had some 

 warnings which have led his confreres at Lidge to cele- 

 brate this year, as a sort of premature jubilee, the fortieth 

 anniversary of his professoriate rather than wait till the 

 full tale of fifty years had been told. 



Theodore Schwann was born at Neuss, near Diisseldorf, 

 on December 7, 18 10. In 1829 he entered the Univer- 

 sity of Bonn, first as a student of philosophy, but after- 

 wards as one of medicine. The illustrious Johannes 

 Miiller was at that time a privat-docent at Bonn, and 

 Schwann, like so many other of the distinguished biolo- 

 gists of the present day, owes much of his success in life 

 to the vivifying influence of that distinguished teacher. 

 From Bonn Schwann migrated to Wiirzburg and thence 

 to Berlin, whither Miiller had been called to fill the chair 

 left vacant by the death of Rudolphi. Here Schwann, 

 working with the support and under the guidance of 

 Miiller, carried out several physiological investigations, 

 the most notable of which were those on the respiration 

 of the chick in the &gg^ on artificial digestion, on the 

 structure of muscular fibre and of elastic tissue, on 

 the contractility of the arteries, on the mechanics of 

 muscular contractions, and on spontaneous generation. 

 All these researches made their mark and added to our 

 knowledge. Many readers will doubtless remember the 

 ancient myograph employed by Schwann, which was ex- 

 hibited at the collection at South Kensington two years ago. 

 Besides this, Schwann appears to have largely assisted 

 Miiller in the experiments and observations necessary for 

 the construction of the well-known text-book of physio- 

 logy. Lastly, in 1838, he began to publish, in Froriep's 

 " Notizen," the views which had arisen in his mind 

 concerning the cellular structure of organic beings, and 

 in 1839 laid them before the world in a complete form 

 under the title of " Microscopische Untersuchungen iiber 

 Die Uebereinstimmung in der Structur und dem Wachs- 

 thum der Thiere und Pflanzen." It is unnecessary here 

 to point out the immense effect which the " cellular 

 theory" has had on the progress of all branches of 

 biology. It has made itself felt throughout the whole 

 domain of physiology and pathology, and in a very 

 remarkable manner prepared the way for the more recent 

 doctrines of evolution. During the forty years which 

 have elapsed since it was first enunciated, it has under- 

 gone considerable changes : it has been hammered by the 

 Vol, XVIII. — No. 455 



blows of repeated labours into a form more durable than 

 that in which it first appeared ; but it still remains as the 

 cellular theory. And this at least may be said, that 

 Schwann himself, in expounding his views, kept remark- 

 ably clear of the many vagaries in which 'his immediate 

 followers indulged, and which for a while threatened to 

 make the cellular theory a reproach rather than an 

 honour. 



While engaged in these labours Schwann held at 

 Berlin the post of assistant to the Museum, giving as 

 well private courses on histology, and he Avas on the 

 point of being made Professor Extraordinary when he 

 received an invitation to the chair of General and 

 Descriptive Anatomy at the University of Louvain. This 

 he accepted, and entered upon his duties at the close of 

 the year 1838. In 1848 he was made professor of the 

 same subject in the University of Li^ge, and here he has 

 remained ever since, exchanging in 1858 his chair for 

 one of Physiology. 



During his stay in Li^ge his life has not been an idle 

 one, but the fame of his earlier labour somewhat throws 

 his later work into the shade, and he is now enjoying the 

 repose which is not only fitting to his age, but which has 

 in every way been most thoroughly earned. The enthu- 

 siastic reception which he received at his jubilee from 

 the students of the university showed very clearly how 

 dearly he is loved and how highly he is honoured by 

 those who have still the privilege of being taught by him. 



The ceremony of the 23rd began at one P.M., when the 

 Rector of the University delivered in the Aula an oration 

 laudatory of Schwann, at the close of which he unveiled 

 a very successful bust. A large audience was pre- 

 sent, among them a considerable number of ladies and 

 students. Prof Edouard van Beneden then gave an 

 admirable account of the scientific labours which were 

 that day being honoured ; after which a student, in a 

 speech which was repeatedly applauded with much 

 enthusiasm, described how greatly Schwann was admired 

 and beloved by his pupils. Then followed the presenta- 

 tion of addresses from various universities and learned 

 bodies. It would be impossible to enumerate these, 

 for they came from all parts of the world, those 

 from Berlin, Vienna, and Heidelberg being especially 

 elaborate ; a goodly number arrived from Great 

 Britain. The time of year chosen for the ceremony 

 being unfortunately in the middle of the academical 

 summer session very few representatives were able to 

 attend in person. There were present, however, as 

 bearers of addresses which they delivered with suit- 

 able speeches. Prof. Waldeyer, from Strassburg, Prof. 

 Gussenbauer, from Prague, Mr. F. M. Balfour from Cam- 

 bridge, England (charged personally, in the unavoidable 

 absence of Dr. M. Foster, with congratulations from the 

 Royal Society, from Trinity College, Cambridge, from 

 the Physiological Society, and from the professors and 

 lecturers of the University of Cambridge), and Prof. 

 Pilar, from Agram. 



The ceremony was concluded by a genial speech from. 

 Schwann, in which he gracefully acknowledged the com- 

 pliments which he had received. A banquet followed [at 

 which the toasts of "The King," *' Schwann," "The 

 Strangers,'' &c., were given, the latter being responded 



