Volume 7

Popular science / edited by Arthur Mee.

Date:
1912-1913
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Popular science / edited by Arthur Mee. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    GROUP I • THE EXPLORERS OF THE MYSTERY OF LIFE • iSiST,,“ BIOLOGISTS JEAN LOUIS AGASSIZ—“ A GREAT INTER NATIONAL ” LORD AVEBURY— FRIEND OF INSECTS J. W. BALLANTYNE — SCIENCE AS THE FRIEND OF MOTHERHOOD SIR JOSEPH BANKS — A NATURE- TRAVELLER ROUND THE WORLD SIR THOMAS BARLOW— A MASTER- STUDENT OF INFANT LIFE H. W. BATES— SCIENCE IN THE FOREST JEAN LOUIS AGASSIZ “ A Great International ” J ean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz, one of the most popular men of science of the second and third quarters of the nineteenth century, and almost the last to remain faithful to the theory of special creation against the proofs of evolution, was the son of a Swiss pastor in the Fribourg Canton. He was born at Motier, in the neighbourhood of Lake Neuchâtel, on May ::8, 1807. His education, begun in Switzerland, was con tinued in German}'' and France, and he graduated both in philosophy and medicine. While still a student, his attention was drawn to the study of fishes by a request that he would arrange a collection of fresh-water fishes that had been brought to Switzerland from Brazil, and he passed on from this work to a study of the fishes of his native district. When only four-and- twenty he was appointed Professor of Natural History in the University of Neu châtel. It was a natural transition from the study of living fishes to the study of the fossils of the species, as they abound in Switzerland. Extended studies led Agassiz to introduce a new classification, which, however, has not entirely held the field. From fishes he enlarged the range of his observations to invertebrate animals, and quickly attained a European reputation. Coming to England, he made the ac quaintance of Hugh Miller, and by his appreciation of the studies of the Scottish stonemason—which lay largely in the fish bearing strata—helped to popularise that unfortunate genius. On his return to Switzerland, Agassiz took up the study of glacial movement, so closely associated later with the names of Forbes and Tyndall, and his theories of glacial action attracted universal attention. During a later visit to England he, working with Buckland, described, according to his theory, the effects of glaciation in this country. WILLIAM BATESON — ENGLISH LEADER IN THE STUDY OF HEREDITY LOUIS DANIEL BEAUPERTHUY— A WON DERFUL OFFICER OF HEALTH SIR CHARLES BELL— THE INVESTIGATOR OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM CLAUDE BERNARD — THE CHEMIST-EX PLORER WITHIN THE BODY FRANCOIS BICHAT— FOUNDER OF THE SCIENCE OF MINUTE ANATOMY He was now invited to lecture in the United States, and arrangements were made for a' study by him of the geology of the Republic, which, till that time, had been quite inadequately undertaken. His work in America, prodigious in amount, and covering a very wide range, was so much appreciated that, though he suffered terribly from home-sickness, he never returned to Switzerland. He was appointed Professor of Zoology and Geology at Harvard, and joined the circle of delightful men who in that day gave the United States a distinction in the world of literature which it has never attained since. One of his innumerable activities was the formation at Cambridge of a scientific museum. This he finally gave to the public. Even the holidays which so rarely diversified his strenuous work were spent as scientific excursions, and carried him as far afield as Brazil. His studies in the Alps had convinced him of the need for a study of Nature where the objects under observation were in situ, and so he established on an island a practical school of marine zoology. The work of Agassiz had the double character of popular exposition and original research, and in its enthusiastic prosecution he wore himself out. He died at Cambridge on December 14, 1873, and his grave is marked by a glacial boulder and pine-trees sent out from his native Switzerland. The impression made by the personality of-this charming man of science is reflected with fine truth and delicacy in the poem read by Longfellow at the meeting com memorating the Switzer’s fiftieth birthday. Though some of the views held by Agassiz have been overthrown, and his work was too wide and eager to be always exact, he holds an honourable place as a devotee of science. He left a son, Alexander, who carried his work on with distinction, and a wife who proved a sympathetic biographer. 4379