Feb. 8, 1877] 



NATURE 



5^5 



mental powers. At the age of sixteen he entered the 

 establishment of a pharmaceutical chemist, and was 

 actively engaged for eight years in this occupation. His 

 hours of leisure were devoted to scientific study, and his 

 aspirations gradually rose above the narrow limits in 

 which he was confined. These longings were gratiiled in 

 1820, when he was enabled to enter the University of 

 Berlin as a student of physics. With restless energy 

 Poggendorff entered upon his chosen field and quickly 

 gave evidences of more than ordinary talent. In 1821 

 Oken's Isis contained his first paper, " Physico-chemical 

 Investigations upon the Magnetism of the Voltaic File." 

 In this article he describes his discovery of the electro- 

 magnetic multiplier or galvanometer, formed by carrying 

 a wire several limes round a magnetic needle in a vertical 

 plane ; an apparatus which with Schweigger's later im- 

 provements, is in universal use. Other articles on closely- 

 allied subjects appeared at this period in Gilbert's ^//;/<7/t'«. 

 The abilities of the young physicist were soon recognised, 

 and he received from the Royal Academy of Sciences at 

 Berlin the post of " observator," which enabled him to 

 continue his scientific investigations. The leading savants 

 of the day — G. Rose, H. Rose, v. Buch, Alexander v. 

 Humboldt, Mitscherlich, and others — gave him also a 

 warm welcome into the circle of their friendship. 



In 1824 Poggendorff conceived the plan of issuing a 

 new physico-chemical journal on a more extensive basis 

 than any other hitherto existing in Germany. The 

 above-mentioned investigators, as well as Berzelius, 

 Arfredson, Bonsdorff, and other prominent foreign che- 

 mists and physicists promised a hearty co-operation in 

 the new enterprise. Before the completion of the pre- 

 parations, the death of Prof L. W. Gilbert, of Leipzig, 

 who for twenty-five years had issued Gilbert's Annalen 

 der Physik, left that periodical without an editor. Pog- 

 gendorff entered at once into negotiations with the pub- 

 lisher. The result was that he edited the seventy-sixth 

 and closing volume of Gilbert's series, and then issued 

 the first number of the Annalen dcr Physik und Chemie. 

 This was the decisive step of Pdggendorff's life. Al- 

 though but four years had elapsed since the commence- 

 ment of his university studies, he brought to the new 

 undertaking a breadth of knowledge, a keenness of dis- 

 crimination, and a true love and enthusiasm for his work 

 which, united with the warm co-operation of leading in- 

 vestigators, gave the Anna/en at once a prominent position 

 among scientific periodicals. The somewhat exacting 

 duties of the new position did not prevent the continuance 

 of his researches. In 1827 he invented the magnetometer 

 for the measurement of minute m.agnetic variations. At 

 this time, also, papers appeared from him on the vibra- 

 tions of light, on the aurora borealis, on the law of diffu- 

 sion of gases, on the decomposition of chemical com- 

 pounds, on the relations between the elements of ternary 

 compounds, &c., all of which evidenced a comprehensive 

 grasp of the varied departments of chemistry and physics 

 In 1834 he received the degree of Ph.D. from the Univer- 

 sity of Berlin, and in i«44 the degree of M.D. from the 

 University of Konigsberg. In 1834 he was elected to 

 the position of extraordinary professor of physics at 

 Berlin, in which relation he continued to the time 

 of his death. The Royal Academy of Sciences at 

 Berlin elected him to membership in 1839, and the most 

 important of his subsequent researches were published in 

 the Ti'ansactions of the Academy. These were confined 

 almost exclusively to galvanism and electricity, and form 

 altogether one of the most valuable and extensive contri- 

 butions which has been made to our knowledge in this 

 department. His labours were chiefly directed to the 

 study of electro-chemical and thermo-electric phenomena, 

 methods of measuring the intensity of the galvanic 

 current, the laws of galvanic polarisation, the resistance of 

 various conducting mediums, &c., as well as the invention 

 of numerous pieces of apparatus applicable in this branch 



of physics. In 1837 Prof. Poggendorff was actively engaged 

 with Liebig in the preparation of the first volume of the 

 well-known " Handwdrterbuch der Chemie," but was 

 unable to continue his co-operation in the succeeding 

 volumes. A series of biographical sketches, " Lebcns- 

 linien zur Gcschichte der exacten Wissenschaftcn," ap- 

 peared from his pen in 1853, and were followed in 1863 

 by a compendious '" Biographisch-hterarisches Hand- 

 worterbuch zur Gtschichte der exacten Wissenschaftcn." 

 This book of about 3,000 pages includes the biographies 

 and fragments of works and papers of the scientific men 

 of all natiohs and all times, and involved an immense 

 amount of time in the preparation. 



Valuable as were the experimental results and encyclo- 

 pjedic labours of Prof. Poggendorff, they assume a subor- 

 dinate position by the side of the great life-wori< on which 

 his energies were chiefly expended. In the long series of 

 over 160 volumes of the Annalen der Physik und Chemie, 

 he has left behind him the most enduring monument to 

 his zeal and devotion in the cause of science. His rare 

 combination of talents, his fine critical powers, his un- 

 flagging industry, and his long period of service render 

 his scientific editorial career stiikingly similar to thac of 

 the recently-deceased founder and editor of the Revue des 

 deux Mondes in the world of politics ;-nd letters. The 

 translation of the articles of foreign investigators formed 

 no small part of his editorial labours. The seveniy-six 

 contributions of Faraday alone occupy between two and 

 three volumes, those of Brewster and Regnault require 

 each over a volume. It has been calculated that about 

 one-fifth of the total number of volumes of the Annalen 

 would be occupied alone with the editor's translations. 

 The original plan of making the Annalen a complete 

 record of all advances made in both chemistry and 

 physics gradually became impossible, as the opportunities 

 and incitements for original research increased. With 

 the appearance of the various chemical serials in Ger- 

 many, the department of chemistry became less and less 

 proitiinent, until the Annalen has assumed an almost 

 purely physical character. 



Ever watchful to detect and recognise merit in fellow- 

 labourers, he stood upon peculiarly intimate and friendlj' 

 relations with a large proportion ot his extensive staff of 

 contributors. Their feehngs of love and respect found 

 opportunity for expression three years ago, when many of 

 them gathered to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the 

 foundation of the journal. The occasion was very fitly 

 observed by the presentation to the aged editor of a jubilee 

 volume of the Annalen, compiled under the direction of 

 the conti'ibutors, and containing special articles from a 

 number of leading physicists. The hope then expressed 

 that it might be followed by many more volumes under 

 his editorship was not destined to be fulfilled. He had 

 reached his eighty-first year with unimpaired possession 

 of mental and physical powers, when death suddenly re- 

 moved him from his sphere of earnest, useful activity, 

 after a brief and painless illness. A large assembly of 

 men famous in literature and science, gathered at the 

 burial ceremonies, to pay the last tribute to the memory 

 of their departed friend. It is not alone in science that 

 Poggendorff will be missed. His kindly, genial, appre- 

 ciative disposition endeared him in the hearts of men from 

 all classes of society ; and the generous hospitality of his 

 home will not easily be forgotten by those who have 

 learned to know him in the midst of the family circle. 



T. H. N. 



THE NEW STAR IN CYGNUS 



THE following three letters are published in the AstrO' 

 nomische Nachichten, Nos. 21 15, 21 16 : — 

 On December 3 I received the news of the discovery 

 of the new star in Cygnus, but the unfavourable 

 weather did not allow me to search for it till the 5tb. 



