38 
Prof.  A.  Tschirch. 
j  Am.  Jour.  Pbarm. 
t     January,  190(>. 
BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH  OF  PROF.  A.  TSCHIRCH. 
By  A.  B.  Stevens. 
Prof.  Alexander  Tschirch  was  born  October  17,  1856,  in  Gieben, 
Prussia.  He  began  his  pharmaceutical  career  as  an  apprentice  in 
1873.  In  1878  he  studied  one  semester  in  Berne,  Switzerland,  and 
then  continued  his  studies  in  Berlin  under  A.  W.  Hoffmann  and 
Helmholtz,  finally  completing  his  work  for  the  degree  of  Doctor 
of  Philosophy  at  Feiburg,  B.,  in  188 1.  The  subject  of  his  disserta- 
tion was  "  Ueber  einige  Beziehungen  des  anatomischen  Baues  der 
Assimilationsorgane  zu  Klima  und  Standort."  On  completion  of  his 
university  course  he  became  assistant  to  Dr.  Ziurek,  then  Public 
Analyst  in  Berlin,  and  later  assistant  in  botany  under  Professor 
Pringsheim. 
In  1885  he  was  appointed  lecturer  in  chemistry  and  botany  in  the 
University  of  Berlin.  In  this  same  year  he  married  the  accomplished 
daughter  of  Dr.  Ziurek.  She  speaks  and  reads  German,  French 
and  English  freely.  They  have  two  lovely  daughters,  of  whom  the 
Professor  is  very  fond.  The  pharmaceutical  world  may  later  hear 
from  the  younger  daughter,  as  she  is  inclined  to  follow  in  her 
father's  footsteps. 
In  1888  Professor  Tschirch  received  a  commission  from  the  Royal 
Academy  of  Science  of  Berlin,  and  went  to  India,  Ceylon  and  Java, 
where  he  made  a  study  of  medicinal  plants,  collecting  many  speci- 
mens and  made  numerous  photographs.  Many  of  these  have  been 
of  inestimable  value  to  him  and  his  students  in  pharmacognosy,  as 
they  cover  a  wide  range  of  subjects,  from  the  planting  of  the  seed- 
lings to  the  full-grown  tree  ;  those  upon  cinchona,  cinnamon  and  tea 
are  especially  interesting.    (See  list  of  publications.) 
In  1 890  he  left  Berlin  to  accept  a  call  from  the  University  of  Berne, 
Switzerland,  where  he  established  a  Pharmaceutical  Institute  with 
separate  microscopical,  chemical  and  pharmaceutical  laboratories. 
This  was  the  realization  of  his  desire,  to  have  a  thoroughly  equipped 
laboratory  where  he  could  conduct  chemical  as  well  as  botanical 
investigations. 
On  leaving  Berlin  his  students  presented  him  with  a  large  silver 
cup  which  he  has  put  to  a  very  unique  use.  Every  student  who 
receives  the  degree  of  Ph.D.  from  the  Institute  is  invited  to  drink 
with  him  from  this  cup,  and  then  the  name  of  the  newly-made  doctor 
