3 68 HERMANN VON HELMHOLTZ 



For the time being Helmholtz gave no explanation of the 

 phenomenon ; it was necessary first to arrange his observations 

 scientifically. 1 1 thought it useful/ he said at a later time, ' as 

 far as I was able, to introduce rigid mechanical concepts into 

 meteorology, and to see what could be determined by that 

 method/ 



'I cannot conclude this letter/ Bezold writes, on October 9, 

 1902, l without especially referring to the loss I have sus- 

 tained in the death of the two great physicists Helmholtz and 

 Hertz, who did not consider meteorology a low form of science, 

 but contributed to it themselves, and were deeply interested in it.' 



Before the end of the year Helmholtz was made Vice- 

 Chancellor of the Friedensklasse of the Order Pour le Merite. 

 He resorted to Menzel, the Chancellor, to learn what his 

 obligations were, and Menzel replied : ' I can only say to you 

 what Ranke replied to me in his time, " As Vice-Chancellor you 

 have nothing to do but to wait for my death to become 

 Chancellor."' 



In December, 1886, Hertz sent Helmholtz the continuation of 

 the experiments begun in Berlin and resumed at Kiel, which 

 already gave promise of the rich significance of his discoveries. In 

 a letter from Karlsruhe, Hertz remarks: 'I take this opportunity 

 of communicating certain experiments in which I have been 

 successful, because I was in hopes when I undertook them that 

 they might interest you. I have succeeded, unmistakably, in 

 showing the inductive action of one open rectilinear current 

 upon another open rectilinear current, and I venture to hope 

 that this method will eventually yield the solution of one or 

 other of the questions associated with this phenomenon. 1 

 Helmholtz, who already recognized the full significance of this 

 work, was greatly excited by the more detailed account of its 

 progress; he took no further part in the development and 

 organization of these experiments, but handed the whole subject 

 over to his great pupil Hertz. 



'I am proud/ he said later, 'to think that my ideas will survive 

 and develop in future generations, when my individual life is at 

 an end, and you will understand that just as a parent cares most 

 for the welfare of his own sons and endeavours to promote it, 

 so I have a special predilection for the children of my brain, and 

 you will also understand that as an individual I can only follow 



