MENDELEEFF 135 



academy and society in the world, he was black-balled 

 by the Imperial Academy of Sciences of St Petersburg. 

 This was due to jealousy and revenge ! Once he had 

 the honour to be consulted by the Russian Government 

 regarding education, and he preferred one of his own to 

 that of Count Tolstoy. The count's detectives followed 

 him about for years, but found nothing against him. 

 All the same, Tolstoy had him black-balled at the Academy ! 

 Later on in his career Mendeleeff refused the honour ; 

 but, as Miss Ellison says, " the best test of the value of 

 a maris work is the reputation it has gained outside his 

 own country" 



Mendeleeff died on Saturday, 2nd February 1907 

 within five days of the seventy - fifth anniversary of 

 his birth. 



The Czar Nicholas telegraphed to his widow : " Please 

 accept my deepest sympathy in your terrible loss, which 

 I also share. Russia has lost one of her best sons in the 

 person of Professor Mendeleeff, who will ever remain in 

 our memory." 



Three days after the death of Mendeleeff, his colleague 

 and friend, Professor N. Menschutkin, died. The news 

 of Mendele'efFs death found him lecturing, and the sad 

 tidings so affected him that he quitted the lecture theatre 

 of the university at once, and in twenty-four hours he 

 died suddenly. 



In conclusion, MendeleefFs whole writings are coloured 



