in "HEIDELBERG DU FEINE " 55 



off, the Russian officer, who worked with Bunsen 

 on the products of the decomposition of gunpowder, 

 and who always said to me when I was talking English 

 to my English friends, " Take the potato out of your 

 mouth," he thought we mumbled so. Then there 

 were Quincke, who afterwards filled, and still fills 

 (1906), with distinction the chair of Physics at 

 Heidelberg, and Bahr, the Swedish chemist. Concern- 

 ing the latter I may interpolate a characteristic story. 

 Bunsen was often very absent-minded. Bahr, with 

 whom he was well acquainted, was with him one day 

 when another Heidelberg professor came into the 

 room. As sometimes happened, Bunsen had forgotten 

 the name of his pupil, and wishing to introduce him 



to his colleague, he said : " Mr. , oh, I beg your 



pardon, but I never can pronounce your soft Swedish 

 4 th ' won't you pronounce your name ? " " My name 

 is Bahr," replied the Swede. 



Then there was Landolt, now professor in Berlin, 

 and von Baeyer, Liebig's successor in Munich, and one 

 of the most distinguished chemists that Germany has 

 produced, besides others, many of them Americans, 

 whose names at the moment escape me. There was 

 also Louren90, a man of Indian blood, from Goa, who 

 afterwards became Professor of Chemistry at Lisbon. 

 And last, but not least, was Kekule, who, however, 

 was not working in Bunsen's laboratory, but held the 

 position of Privat- Decent, and had a laboratory and a 

 small house in the Hauptstrasse, but who formed one 

 of our coterie. 



Amongst the Englishmen were Russell, Atkinson, 

 and Matthiessen. The last named was a curious 

 creature. Bunsen set him to work on the preparation 

 of the alkaline-earth metals by electrolysis. He had an 

 affection of the nerves or muscles, a kind of St. Vitus/ 



