324 THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE VETERINARY SCHOOLS. 



for as well-organized a body as the Berlin school had been since 

 Langermann's time does not so easily come to a complete stand-still ; 

 but that such an evil condition should not really occur a new fire- 

 man was necessary — and he came. He made fresh fire, and we 

 soon saw the glistening sparks." As Gerlach was, in my opinion, 

 the most important character, the most original genius that has ever 

 appeared on the German veterinary arena, if not of the world, I 

 may be pardoned a short sketch of his life. I do this the more 

 willingly, as the memory of this man still waits due appreciation 

 in his native land, probably because of the intense severity with 

 which he sought to instill into drones the grand fire by which he 

 himself was impelled to sacrifice life, health, and friendship for the 

 good of his profession and country. 



Andreas Christian Gerlach was born at Wedderstedt, in the 

 Harz Mountains, the 15th of May, 1811. His parents were honest 

 peasants, but had little means. His early education was received at 

 the hands of some childless relations who resided near Halberstadt, 

 who soon learned to love the pale, earnest boy as their own child. 

 The child saw one day an old veterinarian in the village busied 

 about some animals, which greatly excited his interest. He fol- 

 lowed the old man from stable to stable, from patient to patient, 

 and only returned late at night to the friends who had adopted him. 

 This childhood's experience seems to have determined his future 

 destiny. After his confirmation, his adopted parents sent him to 

 Halberstadt to school, without, however, having sufiicient means to 

 cover his expenses. Here began a time which indeed proved the 

 stuS the boy was made of, and which developed in him that char- 

 acter which drew little love toward the man in later years, but 

 which enabled him to overcome obstacles and trample under foot 

 an opposition as bitter as any man ever had to combat. He had 

 first to prepare for his entrance into the gymnasium, and lived in 

 the family of a poor artisan, who kindly gave him food. He sought 

 with great perseverance the company of students in the higher 

 classes, hoping to improve his knowledge thereby. Leisering, from 

 whom the above remarks are taken, says : " A doctor, with whom 

 he is acquainted, who lived at Halberstadt at this time, told him 

 some years back, after Gerlach had already become a noted man, 

 that it was not without much feeling that he recollected how the boy 

 Gerlach had come to him in his peasant clothing and begged, with 

 his eyes filled with tears, that he would give him free instruction 

 in Latin. . . . He finally completed his school-days at Halberstadt, 

 after enduring untold hardships and a continued battle for the food 



