AND SCHONBEIN 41 



Schonbein had sent his first paper : " Uber die materielle 

 Ursache der Geruchsempfindung bei Elektricitats-Ent- 

 wickelung " in manuscript with a letter to Schelling 1 at 

 Munich. In his answer on the 24th of April of the 

 same year Schelling speaks in the highest terms of the 

 research, which he had immediately passed round among 

 the members of the mathematical and physical class of the 

 Royal Academy ; and particularly requests Schonbein to 

 allow them to print it in their Transactions, " to which it 

 would certainly do credit." He continues as follows : 

 " Steinheil 2 dabbles in many things without obtaining any 

 results ; he receives 80 a year for prosecuting researches 

 which, however, invariably break down without leading 

 to any conclusions. In the person of our Crown Prince 3 

 we possess a distinguished patron of research, especially 

 on scientific lines. Should you ever be unable from want 

 of pecuniary resources to begin a lengthy research, from 

 which you have grounds for expecting good results, let me 

 know and it will give me great pleasure to awaken the 

 interest of our generous prince on your behalf." 



Schonbein consequently sent in an application to the 

 Prince through Schelling for a sum of money to purchase 

 a battery ; but as this appeal coincided with the former's 

 departure for Greece, the matter could not then be 

 arranged. Schelling writes on the 21st of December 

 1840 : "I am sure the Prince will not allow the matter to 



1 Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling, born in 1775 at Leon- 

 berg in Wurtemberg, was professor at Jena in 1798, at Wiirz- 

 burg in 1803, member of the Munich Academy from 1806 to 

 1820, then at Erlangen ; in 1827 he was professor at Munich, in 

 1840 at Berlin, and he died in 1854 at Ragaz. 



2 Karl August Steinheil was born in 1801 at Rappoltsweiler 

 in Alsace, and died in 1870 at Munich. From 1832 to 1849 he 

 was professor of physics and mathematics, from 1835 an ordin- 

 ary member of the Academy at Munich. 



3 Subsequently King Maximilian II. 



