The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1893-09-02
PROFESSOR vlRcHow. .
A Man Of Science Who Possesses q Sar-
icastic Tongue and q Hasty Tempar.

Professor Rudolf Virchow, rector
OF the university iof Berlin, is a
|highly interesting personality. - He
sis 2 small man with dry, parchment
like skin, and wears very powerful
Ispectacles, which gives his eyes. 4
peculiar appearance as seen through
them. The tout ensemble is very or:
dinary. Not only is he, however, in
the first rank of scientists, but is,
besides, a prominent politician, one
OF the most influential men among
the advanced liberals and membe
of the reichstag. He would long ago
have been elected rector had it not
. been thought that his political views
| would be so obnoxious to the en-
peror as to cause him to decline to
sratify Virchow's election, says Har-
per's Weekly. ]:
Virchow and Won Helmholz cele-
brated their 10th birth day within a
short time of each other, and whereas
/ the latter received ompliment tary
telegram and de- ecoration from the
emperor, Virchow was the recipient
.Of no such favor. In the telegram
! to Won Helmholz his majesty ex-
pressed his approval that the scien.
:tist had devoted himself to science,
which was his proper sphere, and had
|sleft politics alone This was evident
Fly side-thrust at Virchow. :. :.
| During the political troubles of
1912 VlrchoW was bapished because
OF a speech In which he said that
Prussia must. have a. constitution; :;
that the king must grant one, or they
must try to 40 without king; For
this he was prescribed, but he partly
regained favor by his work in con
!nection with the Franco-Germa war.
His organization of ambulance corp s
and his untiring efforts in the hospi-
tails were highly appreciated, .y =.
J. He is much more liked by foreign
students than by Germans. To the
latter he shows his rough side. He
does not approve of their. drinking
habits. -, He says that Americans and
English who do not soak so system
.atically: have clearer. heads and dc
t 4saa1taeh tier. work than Germans.
Some Of his countrymen have such a
dislike of him that they prefer to
study pathology elsewhere; although
they have to study under inferior
men. They dread his home truths
and his not always smooth tongue, He
is, they say, very rude to them in his
lectures, as we'll as severe at the ex-
aminations. He was so dissatisfied
with an answer: given by one student
that he replied:' 4Any cook would
know better than that You know
nothing whatever about it.'' To an
other who was turning over speci-
men with an instrument So as to be
better able to see it, he asneered !:
'Oh. yes, hack it to pieces, and by
the time you have finished with it
nobody else will be able to,see it,"
A friend of mine was in vited to b is
house to see some very rare fish
which he had received a short tim q
before. Vircho w's daughter. who is
not famous for beauty, was present.
When the inspection of the fish was
over Virchow said: GAIL these I'LL
gladly give you if you'll marry nv
daughter: I've been trying to marry
her off these thirteen years, but
| without success" L - y ! :.
J.. The clothes that the, learned pro-
fessor wears are sometimes such as
no old-clo' man would invest in. An.
especially favorite coat of his, IS an
ancient one. that has lost its color
through age On one occasion he
| began the examination OF a student
by abruptly asking: What color is
my coat?" The student paused for q
moment, and then replied: ..Appar--
emily, Herr professor, it was ORIGIN
ally black; now itrseems to be Of a
blush tint, for which reply he was
passed. - si5&~-.i +. <-''#, >1$5>@.