10 Alexander von Humboldt. 
marine geography and nautical astronomy, but left comparative- 
ly untouched, physical geography, botany, zoology, the relations 
of the vegetable world, the migrations of the social plants, a 
the geological structure of mountains and volcanoes. All thes 
he found set forth more to his liking in M. de Saussure’s scien- 
tific explorations e the Alps and Vesuvius, which interested 
him profoundly and caused es to study carefully both the re- 
sults i the use of the instruments by which they were at- 
a 
his same year, 1795, freed from official care, Humboldt 
ae much t mb Germany and visited Vienna, where he 
renewed his studies in botany and physical geography, studied 
and traveled with Freiesleben the celebrated geognost, and with 
von Haften visited northern Italy, but was for poke! reasons 
deterred from going to the volcanic regions of Naples and Si- 
cily. At Vienna he became acquainted with the recent discov- 
eries of Galvani which interested him deeply, and henceforth 
galvanism became one of his s a studies, if indeed a mind 
of such general grasp can attend on specialties. Many months 
most useful preparatory study he passed there examining the 
exotic plants, and enjoying the friendship, of M. de Jacquier 
and of M. Vander Schott. Already familiar with the experi- 
ments of Franklin and others in electricity, he began there his 
famous experiments in chemistry, galvanism, mena and other 
matters pertaining to organic life, which in importance and orig- 
inality eealete the sk brced but subsequent iscrecdactniccnen of 
ichat. — 
About t t th a: stig _— of meee von Zach, he found 
time ‘to acquire a practic owledge of astronomy, surv 
oe and mathematics, all so essential to cancion pn 
‘came familiar with the use ‘of the various scientific instruments 
for ascertaining latitudes and longitudes, heights and a 
etc. Next, in the winter of 1796-97, we find him 
studying anatomy and physiology under Loder. Here ‘ con- 
tinued his investigations into animal life in connection with — 
wi 
embodied i in his third book* oilshed s in Posen in asa in re 
volumes i in octavo. 
oder Galvanismus, ne 
Muskel- ur Hint subsites : 
en Proo ae et in der Thier und Pflanzen 
se Zee 
* 
