6 GUSTAV MAGNUS. 



ful, patient, and modest work, who tests that work 

 again and again, and never ceases until he knows there 

 is nothing left to be improved. But it is also such 

 work, which by the classical perfection of its methods, 

 by the accuracy and certainty of its results, merits and 

 gains the best and most enduring fame. There are 

 among the labours of Magnus masterpieces of finished 

 perfection, especially those on the expansion of gases 

 by heat, and on the tension of vapours. Another 

 master in this field, and one of the most experienced 

 and distinguished, namely, Regnault of Paris, worked 

 at these subjects at the same time with Magnus, but 

 without knowing of his researches. The results of 

 both investigators were made public almost simul- 

 taneously, and showed by their extraordinarily close 

 agreement with what fidelity and with what skill both 

 had laboured. But where differences showed themselves, 

 they were eventually decided in favour of Magnus. 



The unselfishness with which Magnus held to the 

 ideal aim of his efforts is shown in quite a character- 

 istic manner, in the way in which he attracted younger 

 men to scientific work, and as soon as he believed he 

 had discovered in them zeal and talent for such work 

 by placing at their disposal his apparatus, and the appli- 

 ances of his private laboratory. This was the way in 

 which I was brought in close relation to him, when I 

 found myself in Berlin for the purpose of passing the 

 Government medical examination. 



