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well as of study, and made rapid progress at the Furstenschule at 

 Meissen, and in his sixteenth year left school to begin his studies at 

 the University of Wittenberg. About this period he contracted a 

 friendship with the celebrated Chladni, who was a frequent guest at 

 his father's honse, and this intimacy lasted as long as Chladni lived. 



Weber's studies at Wittenberg soon met with a serious interruption. 

 The estates from which the University derived its revenue were laid 

 waste in the campaign of 1813 ; then followed the siege of Witten- 

 berg ; and, at length, when in January, 1814, the town fell into the 

 hands of the Prussians, the University itself was removed to Schmiede- 

 berg for two years. On this migration to Schmiedeberg, Weber 

 went to Leipzig, where he worked under the anatomist Rosenmiiller, 

 and through Chladni' s introduction, was brought into scientific inter- 

 course with the physicist Gilbert. He went rapidly through the 

 various medical courses, and soon passed his examination in compara- 

 tive anatomy. On the 6th of June 1815, he took the degree of M.D. 

 at Schmiedeberg. Before he had completed his medical studies the fate 

 of the University of Wittenberg was decided with that of Saxony. On 

 its abolition, his father and five other Professors accepted a call to Halle ; 

 but Ernst Heinrich chose rather to go to Leipzig, which even then, 

 though only containing 25,000 inhabitants, ranked as one of the great 

 cities of Germany. Here he entered on medical practice as assistant 

 to Professor Clarus, without however giving up his favourite pursuits. 

 He had already, in 1817, completed his " Anatomia Comparata ^N"ervi 

 Sympathici," which he sent in as his inaugural dissertation. The 

 explanatory plates to this work he himself engraved on copper. The 

 publication of this book at once brought his name into prominence, 

 and he shortly afterwards received the offer of an Extraordinary Pro- 

 fessorship of Anatomy at Bonn ; but a similar appointment being- 

 offered him at Leipzig, he chose the latter. 



In addition to the performance of the duties of the chair, he went 

 on with his scientific investigations, amongst which was a research on 

 the organ of hearing of fishes — in the course of virion he made several 

 discoveries. In 1821, on the death of Professor Bosenmiiller, Weber 

 became Ordinary Professor of Human Anatomy at Leipzig. About 

 this time he married the sister of his friend Schmiedt, and with her 

 lived happily for upwards of fifty years. It was at this period that, in 

 conjunction with his brother, Wilhelni Weber, he entered on the 

 classical researches which led to the establishment of the celebrated 

 theory of waves. In company with his wife and his brother Wilhelm, 

 he made an excursion amongst the Alpine lakes in order to observe 

 the motions of waves on a large scale. The observations made in this 

 journey led to his making a series of experiments in his father's house ; 

 and for four years Weber walked regularly every week to Halle and 

 back for the purpose of prosecuting this investigation. Among the most 



