8 
Prof.  J.  M.  Maisch. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Jan.,  1894. 
interest.  But  when  the  month  of  August  was  reached,  the  progress 
of  his  disease  was  so  great,  that  he  was  compelled  to  relinquish  all 
idea  of  being  present.  The  grief  of  his  friends  at  these  gatherings 
upon  learning  his  condition  was  heartfelt  and  a  most  touching  inci- 
dent occurred  when  the  President  of  the  Pnarmaceutical  Society  of 
Great  Britain  announced  to  the  meeting  that  he  was  the  bearer  of  the 
Hanbury  Gold  Medal  which  had  been  awarded  to  Prof.  Maisch  for 
distinguished  services  and  for  original  research  in  the  Natural  History 
and  Chemistry  of  Drugs.  Fortunately,  this  testimonial  reached 
him  whilst  he  was  in  full  possession  of  his  faculties,  although  suffer- 
ing severely.  His  face,  wasted  by  the  long-continued  pain  to  which 
he  had  been  subjected,  lit  up  with  a  smile  of  pleasure  when  he 
received  it,  but  a  few  short  days  before  his  earthly  existence  closed. 
A  review  of  his  eventful  life  teaches  the  invaluable  lesson  of  per- 
sistent application  in  the  face  of  what  were  apparently  insuperable 
obstacles.  His  mind  was  imbued  with  a  love  for  science,  and  the 
characteristic  which  thoroughly  pervaded  all  of  Prof.  Maisch's  work 
as  a  scientist,  was  the  persistent  search  for  truth,  for  he  would  never 
rest  until  he  was  satisfied  that  the  utmost  effort  had  been  put  forth 
to  eliminate  error,  and  it  was  the  knowledge  of  this  trait  in  his  char- 
acter which  gave  to  his  scientific  opinions  ^o  much  weight.  Out- 
spoken often  to  brusqueness  in  condemning  error,  his  mind  was 
always  open  to  conviction,  and  he  was  never  ashamed  to  change  his 
views  when  convinced  that  they  were  not  correct. .  Prof.  Maisch  had 
a  profound  love  for  the  country  of  his  adoption,  and  although  he 
had  lived  in  America  forty-three  years,  no  one  could  ever  mistake 
his  nationality ;  his  strong,  rugged  features  and  the  slight  accent, 
which  was  never  quite  absent  from  his  speech,  at  once  proclaimed 
his  German  birth.  Having  decided  to  make  America  his  home, 
he  applied  himself  with  all  his  powers  towards  developing  the 
science  which  he  had  chosen  for  his  life-work.  It  was  no  grudging 
service  which  he  gave.  Although  loving  his  native  country  devo- 
tedly, he  did  not  belong  to  the  class  who  can  find  nothing  in  the 
country  of  their  adoption  to  commend,  but  with  rare  wisdom  and 
without  sacrificing  truth  he  believed,  he  could  accomplish  more 
good  and  serve  the  best  interests  of  all  more  devotedly  by  endeavor- 
ing to  guide  those  who  looked  up  to  him  as  a  leader  in  correct 
paths  without  denouncing  them  for  their  inability  to  realize  his  ideal. 
These  convictions  coupled  with  his  stanch  integrity,  high  sense  of 
