HERMANN VON HELMHOLTZ 



There can be no doubt that one of the secrets of 

 the marvellous activity in research of Helmholtz was, 

 that there was the most intimate connection between 

 his function of a professor, whose duty it was to 

 teach, and that of an original investigator. Teaching 

 and investigation went hand in hand. He investi- 

 gated because he wished to speak of matters at first 

 hand, and thus he did not merely recapitulate the 

 views of others. Again and again he took up a 

 problem, so that he might master it himself, and be 

 enabled to make it clear to his pupils. Thus there 

 was not only freshness in his teaching, as he was 

 continually breaking new ground, but he was year 

 by year adding to scientific knowledge. It is, of 

 course, in the highest degree unlikely that the im- 

 petuous and masterful intellect of Helmholtz would 

 have acted otherwise under almost any circumstances ; 

 but, at the same time, the circumstances in which 

 he was placed favoured its development. He was 

 obliged, year after year, to take a general survey of 

 his science ; he was always associated with the young, 

 and there is nothing more inspiring for a teacher 

 than to have to satisfy young and ardent minds. 

 Even if these are only the minority of a class, their 

 presence is a subtle inspiration, stimulating to new 

 effort. The example of Helmholtz, therefore, is a 

 strong argument in favour of combining teaching 

 with working ; and the results, not only in his case, 

 but in many others, show that, in the advancement 

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