LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 71 



his natural high spirits. His wife, who was a clever 

 draughtswoman, helped him with the drawings for 

 his memoir, and both felt happy and contented ; this 

 stay at Spezzia was a real oasis in their life. 



When the heat became excessive they went to 

 ReichenhaU, a summer resort prescribed by the 

 doctor. There, Mjetchnikoff completed his previous 

 researches on the development of the scorpion, and 

 finally established the fact that this animal possesses 

 the three embryonic layers which correspond to those 

 of the Vertebrates. 



As his young wife's health was still too precarious 

 to allow her to spend the winter in Russia, MetchnikofE, 

 obliged to return to Petersburg, installed her at Mon- 

 treux and asked his sister-in-law. Mile. Fedorovitch, 

 to stay with her. The enforced separation deeply 

 grieved the young couple, whose only consolation was 

 daily correspondence. 



Metchnikofi resumed a life of hard work ; he was 

 now an agrege at the^ Petersburg University and 

 had to leave the School of Mines ; this diminished his 

 resources, but at the same time he obtained an extra 

 salary of 800 roubles as Extraordinary Professor. 

 His position in the University was nevertheless very 

 difficult, for his situation was coveted by different 

 parties with which he had nothing to do. They 

 wanted it for one of their adherents. His devoted 

 friend Setchenoff, Professor of Physiology, then thought 

 of proposing him to the Faculty of Medicine as a 

 Lecturer in Zoology, and whilst Metchnikofi awaited 

 the result of his efforts, he obtained leave to go to the 

 seaside to do research work. 



He joined his wife and took her to San Remo 

 and to Villafranca. Her health had improved and 



