Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
February,  1915.  J 
A  Pilgrimage,  to  Briinn. 
7i 
of  the  city,  where  the  "  Zweite  Konigliche  und  Kaiserliche  Tech- 
nische  Hochschule "  faces  the  Klosterplatz,  a  small  public  square 
enclosed  on  two  sides  by  the  very  object  of  my  visit,  the  Monastery 
of  Alt-Briinn. 
A  tall  steel  fence  set  on  a-  stone  base  encloses  the  Monastery 
grounds  from  the  public  square,  and  while  the  outside  of  the  en- 
closure was  entirely  barren  except  for  a  few  small  trees,  under 
which  were  hitching  posts  and  rails,  the  Monastery  yard  was  planted 
to  shrubbery  set  in  a  well-kept  lawn  traversed  by  smooth,  hard 
gravel  walks.  In  company  with  Dr.  litis  I  entered  the  grounds  and 
slowly  approached  the  well-built  stone  Monastery  and  its  beauti- 
fully proportioned  Gothic  chapel.  The  Monastery  is  an  oblong 
building,  three  stories  high,  the  first  story  being  constructed  like  a 
basement  except  for  its  unusual  height,  and  the  third  story  is  en- 
closed by  a  roof,  the  light  being  furnished  by  a  dozen  little  triangu- 
lar dormer  windows  on  either  side,  and  by  a  large  skylight  in  the 
top.  Over  each  of  the  second-story  windows  is  cut  an  ornamental 
scroll,  this  being  the  only  ornamentation  which  relieves  the  other- 
wise severe  plainness  of  the  cloister. 
Upon  presenting  ourselves  at  the  convent  door  we  were  con- 
ducted by  a  servant  to  the  reception  room  on  the  second  floor  to 
await  the  appearance  of  the  abbot,  Father  Barcina.  In  due  time  the 
Father  came,  and  I  was  introduced  as  one  who  is  devoting  his 
life  to  the  kind  of  work  that  Mendel  did,  and  this  introduction  was 
an  open  sesame  to  all  the  interesting  features  of  the  Monastery 
which  could  be  in  any  close  way  associated  with  the  life  and  work 
of  Mendel. 
Father  Barcina  is  a  middle-aged  man  of  rather  stout  build, 
round-faced,  with  ruddy  complexion  and  a  kindly  expression.  His 
greeting  was  most  cordial,  and,  as  it  was  already  a  little  past  noon, 
.  he  inquired  whether  I  could  dine  without  meat  (it  being  Friday), 
and,  when  assured  that  I  generally  do  so  with  pleasure,  he  invited 
me  to  be  the  guest  of  the  house  for  dinner.  But  a  few  minutes 
elapsed  before  dinner  was  announced  and  we  descended  to  the  first 
floor  or  basement,  to  the  dining-room.  This  is  a  long  room  with 
high  ceiling,  well  lighted. by  a  row  of  windows  on  one  side.  Walls 
and  ceiling  are  absolutely  devoid  of  all  decoration.  In  the  centre 
of  the  room  and  extending  nearly  its  whole  length  was  a  long, 
U-shaped  table  with  chairs  arranged  along  the  outside  of  the  U, 
the  inside  providing  a  free  passage-way  for  the  waiters  who  served 
