44 
authentic information from Mr. A. Wohler of Schonhof of Bocken- 
heim, the great chemist’s only son. From Mr. Wohler’s letter we 
extract the following biographical sketch : — 
Friedrich Wohler was horn on the 31st July 1800, in Eschersheim, 
a village near Frankfort-on- the-Main. He received his first instruct 
tion from his father, a man well versed in economical and physical 
science, as also in philosophy and pedagogics ; and, besides, attended 
the village school in Rodelheim, where his father owned a small 
landed estate. In 1812 the family removed to Frankfurt, where 
he attended the gymnasium, and by the kindness of a scientific friend, 
Dr. Buck, who, besides a thorough knowledge of the subjects, possessed 
the necessary appliances, was introduced to the study of mineralogy, 
more especially, hut also of chemistry and physics. [Conjointly 
with this Dr. Buch, Wohler, as early as 1821, published an investi- 
gation on “ Selenium in a Bohemian mineral,” — his debut as an 
investigator.] After having completed his curriculum at the 
gymnasium, Wohler went to the University of Marburg as a student 
of medicine. In 1821 he left Marburg to continue his studies at 
Heidelberg, where he took his degree as doctor of medicine but, 
on the advice of Leopold Gmelin, decided upon devoting himself 
henceforth to chemistry. He completed his chemical education at 
Stockholm under Berzelius, in whose laboratory he worked for a 
considerable time, and with whom, during his subsequent life, he 
maintained the most friendly relations. While in Sweden he took 
part in a scientific expedition through Norway, which made him 
acquainted with the brothers Brogniart and Humphrey Davy. 
After his return from Sweden, in 1825, he accepted a call to Berlin 
as teacher of chemistry in the then newly-erected Gewerbschule, and 
remained there until 1832, when family affairs caused him to take 
up his abode in Cassel. In 1836 Wohler became Professor of 
Chemistry in the Medical Faculty of the University of Gottingen, 
which office, in his case, was combined with that of Insj>ector-General 
of Pharmacy for Hanover. He held his chair to the day of his death 
on the 23rd September 1882. After only three days illness he died, 
deeply mourned by his widow, children, grand children, and great- 
grand children, in the 83rd year of his life. 
To pass now to what for us, as part of the republic of science, is 
Wohler’s real biography. 
