576 



NATURE 



[October io, 1895 



tute. In i860, Hoppe was appointed an extraordinary 

 professor in the philosophical faculty of the University 

 •of Berlin. In 1861 (he had now assumed the name 

 of Hoppe-Seyler) he was appointed to the chair of 

 A[)plied Chemistry in the University of Tubinj^en, where 

 he had as colleagues the botanist von Mohl, tlie physio- 

 logist \'ierordt, the anatomist Leydig, the chemist 

 Strecker, and the yreat physician Niemeyer. 



It was whilst in Tiibingen that Hoppe-Seyler published 

 (1866-1870), under the title of " Medicinisch-Chemische 

 Unlersuchungen," a series of valuable papers by his 

 pupils and himself, some of which will be always referred 

 to by thorough students of physiological chemistry ; such 

 are the researches of Diakonow on lecithin, of Miescher 

 •on nuclein, and Hoppe-Seylers own papers on h;tmo- 

 globin, its compounds and certain of its derivatives. 



When, in 1872, after the conclusion of the Franco- 

 derman war, the German Government gave to Strasburg 

 the new and splendidly-endowed Kaiser W'ilhclm's 

 Universitiit, Hoppe-Seyler was one of the distinguished 

 men chosen to fill its chairs, being appointed to the only 

 ordinar)' professorship of Physiological Chemistry in the 

 German empire. .Vmong those who were called with 

 him, and who were destined to shed a brilliant lustre on 

 the new academy, which had arisen Phceni.v-like out of 

 the ashes of the old Strasburg, were such men as Wal- 

 deyer, Recklinghausen, Leyden, Gusserow, .Schmiedeberg 

 and Fliickiger. No wonder that .Strasburg has already 

 become one of the chief centres of research in Kurope 1 



.\mongst the laboratories— the so-called institutes — 

 which are clustered around the Hospital of Strasburg, 

 is the so-called Physiologisch-Chemische Institut, in 

 which since his appointment Hoppe-Seyler has continued 

 the work which he had begun in I5erlin and in Tubingen, 

 surrounded by pupils, many of whom — 1 shall merely 

 name Baumann, Brieger, Kosscl, and Thierfelder — have 

 ■won for themselves honourable positions in contemporary 

 science, and for their master the reputation of a great 

 teacher, in the best sense of the term. Here Hoppe- 

 Seyler worked until the very eve of his death. Leaving 

 Strasburg apparently in the fulness of health and vigour 

 to enjoy a few weeks of rest on his property by the shores 

 of the Lake of Constance. Hoppe-Seyler was to be spared 

 the misery of prolonged illness. Some sudden and un- 

 suspected cardiac mischief brought to a standstill the 

 life of a man of singularly great activity, intellectual as 

 veil as physical. He died on the forenoon of .-Vugust 10, 



1895. 



Akthir G.-\m(;ek. 



THE FUNERAL OF PASTEUR. 



AMID signs of national sorrow, the funeral of Pasteur 

 took place on Saturday last. France, more than 

 •any other nation, knows how to do honour to the memory 

 of those who have contributed to her grcatntss, and by 

 giving a national funeral, as well as takmg the cost of it 

 upon herself, she has once more shown the esteem in 

 ■which she holds those who have devoted their lives to the 

 increase of the world's knowledge and happiness. How 

 \i-r\ full was this expression may be gathered from the 

 II |»,it of the Times correspondent at Paris. We read : 

 ■■ (,iuite a small army of infantry, marines, cavalry, artil- 

 lery, and municipal guards, mounted and on foot ; depu- 

 tations from all the schools and learned societies ; most 

 of those who speak and of those who govern and 

 command in the name of France, came to render homage 

 to the stainless glory of this Frenchman, whose genius 

 devoted its efforts to the whole of mankind, and who 

 deserves the gratitude of the world, not merely for the 

 labours which he accomplished but for the new paths 

 which he o|)encd to science by the fresh discoveries which 

 he made for the Ijencfit of mankind." Shortly after ten 



NO. 1354. VOL. 52] 



o'clock on Saturday morning, the troops and innumerable 

 deputations, which had assembled in and near the Pasteur 

 Institute, marched past before the coffin containing the 

 body of the illustrious investigator. The funeral pro- 

 cession was then organised, tieneral .Saussier, surrounded 

 by his staff, and followed by the first division of infantry, 

 preceded the hearse, and behind him came a long line of 

 deputations, many of which had wreaths in their centre. 

 .A. number of wreaths were borne on litters, and others 

 were carried on six cars, each drawn by a pair of horses. 



".Along the route from the Rue Uutot to Notre Dame," 

 says the Times correspondent, " the compact and silent 

 crowd respectfully uncovered their heads as the hearse 

 passed, and the two thousand soldiers and policemen, 

 drawn up in line to keep the way clear, had absolutely 

 nothing to do. The pall-bearers were M. Poincard, M. 

 Joseph Bcrtrand, M. Georges Perrot, Dr. Brouardel, M. 

 Gaston Boissier, and M". Bergeron, .\fter marching for 

 an hour and a half along the left bank of the .Seine, the 

 procession reached the square of Notre Dame. The aspect 

 of the Cathedral was most impressive. The presence of 

 President Faure, the tirand Duke Constantine, Prince 

 Nicholas of (Ireece. Cardinal Richard, the whole of the 

 Diplomatic Corps, the Ministers, the Institute of France, 

 the office-bearers of the .Senate and the Chamber of 

 Deputies, the red-robed Judges, the members of the 

 University faculties, in orange, red, and crimson robes, 

 and the other distinguished persons invited — all this dis- 

 play of official mourning was coupled with and yet eclipsed 

 by the profound silence, the manifest grief The immense 

 crowd was a rare and impressive, if not a unique spec- 

 tacle." 



The Royal Society was represented by Mr. W. T. 

 Thiselton-Dyer, C.M.G., Director of the Royal f.ardens, 

 Kew. .\t the final funeral, which will be held in con- 

 nection with the Centenary of the Institute, on the 25th 

 inst., several of the Officers and Fellows of the Society 

 will be present, together with many delegates from other 

 of our leanied societies. 



.After the service in Notre Darne, the coffin containing 

 Pasteur's remains was removed to a catafalque outside 

 the Cathedral, and M. Poincarc delivered an oration 

 before it, on behalf of the Government. 



Thus does France venerate the memory of her noblest 

 son. But France is not alone in her grief The human 

 race joins with her in mourning the loss of one who has 

 done so much for humanity and science. The name of 

 him to whom the world owes so much good is imperish- 

 able. 



NOTES. 



In July of this year, a special Parliamentary Committee, of 

 which Mr. Rhodes, the Premier, was a member, sat in Cape 

 Town to consider the .advis-ibilily of beginning a systematic 

 geological survey of the Colony. The Committee, after hearing 

 evidence, rccommemlcil the House of .-Vssembly to ajjpoint a 

 standing Commission which shouki take charge of the work, 

 and hecoine in the first instance res|K)nsible for its being 

 efficiently carried out. I'arliameiU having accepted this re- 

 comnicnilalion, the warrant appointing the Connnission has 

 been duly drawn up and signeil by the tlovcrnor of the Colony. 

 The following gentlemen com|Kise the Commission : the 1 Ion. I. 

 X. Merriman, .M.L.A.; Dr. Gill, Astronomer Royal ; Dr. Muir, 

 Supcrinlendcnt General of Kducalion ; Mr. Charles Currey, 

 UmlerSccrclary for Agriculture ; and Mr. Thom.is Stewart. 

 The three first-mentioned arc Trustees of the South -African 

 Museum, Cape Town, and it is intended that the geological 

 staff sh.-ill have it.s headquarters in the new museum building, 

 which is just approaching completion. In past years a great 



