Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
March,  1921.  J 
Thomas  Franz  Hanausek. 
225 
messages  and  parcels  through  official  channels,  but  neither  reached 
their  destination.  So  also  the  death  of  his  father  was  unknown 
to  the  son  until  he  was  released  and  returned  to  Vienna. 
Rather  than  detail  the.  events  in  Hanausek's  busy  life  and  com- 
pile a  long  list  of  his  publications,  I  will  attempt  to  give  an  insight 
into  his  keen  scientific  acumen  and  inspiring  character  by  a  few 
reminiscences. 
While  carrying  on  some  work  in  Moeller's  laboratory  at  Graz 
in  1904,  I  was  filled  with  a  desire  to  meet  Hanausek,  whom  I  had 
come  to  know  through  his  publications.  I  accordingly  wrote  him 
at  Krems-on-the-Danube,  begging  an  interview.  When  I  reached 
my  hotel  at  Vienna,  I  found  a  black  bordered  letter,  not  only  grant- 
ing my  request  but  giving  full  directions  as  to  trains.  Arriving  at 
Krems,  not  knowing  he  was  at  the  station,  I  took  a  conveyance  to 
his  house,  where  he  soon  joined  me.  With  an  awkward  click  of 
the  heels  and  stiff  bow  I  apologized  for  taking  his  time,  but  stated 
that  having  read  and  reread  his  books  I  was  eager  to  meet  the  author 
himself.  He  at  once  put  me  at  ease,  saying  that  he  had  unlimited 
time  when  a  friend  came  4000  miles  to  see  him. 
He  then  inquired  which  of  his  books  I  had.  I  said  Lehrbuch 
der  technischen  Mikroskopie  and  Die  Nahrungs-  und  Genussmittel 
aus  dem  Pflanzenreiche.  He  turned  to  his  book  shelves  and  took 
down  copies  of  his  Lehrbuch  der  Somotologie  und  Hygiene  and  his 
revision  of  Weidinger's  Waarenlexikon  der  chemischen  Industrie 
und  der  Pharmacie,  wrote  my  name  on  the  flyleaves,  and  handed 
them  to  me  in  commemoration  of  the  visit.  When  I  then  hinted 
that  I  would  make  my  call  short,  he  said  I  could  not  get  back  to 
Vienna  until  night  and  that  I  was  his  guest  until  then.  He  added, 
with  a  sigh,  that  since  his  wife's  death  he  lived  alone,  except  for 
his  servants,  and  he  would  be  glad  if  I  would  spend  a  week  or 
two  with  him.  All  of  this  cordiality  to  an  obscure  stranger  over- 
whelmed me. 
On  my  part  it  was  love  at  first  sight  and  I  at  once  found  him 
the  most  magnetic  man  I-had  ever  met.  That  day  lingers  in  my 
memory  as  perhaps  the  most  delightful  of  my  life.  A  ride  into  the 
beautiful  Wachau  to  Diirnstein,  where  he  showed  me  the  castle 
in  which  Rich...  i  the  Lion-Hearted  was  imprisoned  and  before  which 
Blondel  sang  his  song— so  tradition  would  have  it,  although,  as 
Hanausek  explained,  this  was  a  beautiful  myth.    Then  a  visit  to  the 
