xxiv 



Although, owing to his father's poor circumstances, and more espe- 

 cially to his gloomy disposition, Adolphe Wurtz's home was by no 

 means a cheerful one, the young people spent many pleasant hours at 

 the house of their grandfather, M. Kreiss. Besides this kind and 

 excellent man, there were the two uncles, Theodore and Adolphe, 

 the former of whom became to them as a second father, on the death 

 of his brother-in-law. M. Theodore Kreiss always took the warmest 

 interest in their studies, and was amply rewarded in after years by 

 their gratitude and affection, and by their success in life. 



The young people usually passed their holidays at the house of a 

 great aunt at Rothau, in the Ban de la Roche. The excursions made 

 on these occasions amongst the mountains and woods of the neigh- 

 bourhood, and also to various factories, and to the mines and iron- 

 works of Armont, were amongst Wurtz's pleasantest recollections in 

 after life. 



Adolphe Wurtz left the Gymnase in 1834, after taking the degree 

 of Bachelier es Lettres. It was his father's earnest wish that he 

 should now attend a course of instruction as a preparation for 

 theology, but the youth had already contracted a love of science. 

 For some time past he had been making chemical and physical experi- 

 ments in the laundry attached to his father's house. His mother 

 made no objection to this, but his father looked upon such pursuits 

 as both a waste of time and of money, and occasionally even went so 

 far as actually to demolish the little brick furnaces which the future 

 chemist had the ingenuity to build up. 



Wurtz's strong inclination for chemistry was no doubt fostered by 

 his intercourse with Emil Kopp — afterwards the distinguished 

 chemist, who in later years was one of his fellow workers at the 

 Dictionnaire de Chimie. 



The youth at last announced that he wished to make chemistry 

 his profession, but his father refused his permission, insisting on his 

 son taking up either theology or medicine. The youth decided on 

 the latter, and this selection of medicine was probably influenced by 

 the opportunity it would afford him of pursuing his favourite study, 

 as he would have to attend a course of chemistry, and would have 

 access to a laboratory. 



Wurtz soon became (in 1835) second and before long full assistant 

 in the chemical and pharmaceutical department. At a competitive 

 examination in 1839, he was appointed Chef des Travaux Chimiques 

 de la Faculte, on which occasion he wrote an essay : " Histoire 

 Chimique de la bile a l'etat sain et a l'etat pathologique." He fulfilled 

 the duties of this new post under the direction of M. Caillot until he 

 left Strasburg. 



It was thus that whilst regularly and quietly pursuing his medical 

 studies and passing the necessary examinations, Wurtz became a 



