HERMANN VON HELMHOLTZ 



was undimmed and his natural force was unabated, 

 and it was hoped that he had yet many years before 

 him to complete his life work by the publication of 

 his lectures. He attended the meeting of the British 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, in Edin- 

 burgh, in 1892, and while years were evidently 

 gathering upon him, his noble appearance made a 

 deep impression on all who saw him. In 1893 ne 

 visited the International Exhibition in Chicago, and 

 afterwards saw something of the grand scenery of 

 North America and Canada. He then started on 

 the homeward journey. Shortly before the steamer 

 reached Hamburg he had an attack of giddiness, and 

 fell down the stair of the cabin. The injury was 

 severe, causing concussion of the brain and great loss 

 of blood from a scalp wound. He recovered so far, 

 but those about him saw strength failing. Now easily 

 tired, work became more and more difficult. At last 

 the brain that had worked so well gave way, and, in 

 July 1894, he had a stroke of apoplexy. For two 

 months he lingered on, showing, as one would expect 

 from so great a nature, patience and calmness in look- 

 ing forward to the end. This came on the 8th of 

 September 1894, when he had lived eight days beyond 

 his seventy-third birthday. 1 



1 In the ZeitscArift fur Ptychologle of March /th, Professor David 

 Hansemann, of Berlin, published a report of his examination of the 

 brain of Helmholtz. The circumference of the head was 59 centi- 

 metres, that of the skull 55 centimetres. The breadth of the skull 

 was I5'5, and its length 18*3 centimetres. The cephalic index was 

 282 



