New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-09
PROFESSOR HELMHOLTZ.
ONE OF THE WORLDS CHIEF BENEFAC-
TORS DEAD.

DEVIATION OF THE sUFFERINGs OF HU-
MANITY AND THE PoPULARIzA-
TON OF SCIENCE.
Berlin Sept S-Professor Herman Louis Ferdi-
nand Helmholtz the celebrated psychologist and
| physician died to-day from the effects OF stroke
OF paralysis.
Hermann Ludwig Ferdinand Hemholz. who must
lie ranked among the foi scientists and physol
ogsts OF the century. born in Potsdam. Prussia,
August 81. 1921, the Of teacher in the Pots
dam Gymnasium. in which institution he himself
partly educated. At the age OF seventeen he went
to Berlin and entered upon the study OF medicine
at the Royal Military School After receiving the
degree OF Doctor of Medicine. he became surgeon
the Charity Hospital of Berlin and afterward a
military surgeon at Potsdam. Here in 1917 he wrote
and published his first book. scholarly treatise on
THE Conservation OF Force" The appearance Of
this volume attracted much attention, and the
young physician was at once regarded as rising
man in his profession, who was probably destined to
iii considerable place in the world Of science The
year he became assistant professor in the
Anatomical Museum OF Berlin, which then
under the direction OF the famous anatonist John
MILLER His studies and associations here were Of
great advantage TO Helmholtz and he made such
Advancement that in the following year he was
| physiology at the University of Konigsberg He was
| transferred TO a similar place at Bonn in 1867 and
Heidelberg in 1865 and in 1871 to the place former
| ly occupied by Magnus professor OF physical
| science at the University OF Berlin.
His chief achievements in science. and especially
in optics, acoustics. physiology and therapeutics.
date from his accession to the chair OF physiology
! at KonIgsberg His frs, great discovery for the
benefit Of innumerable sufferers from diseases OF the
| eye. made in 1851. Rejecting one day upon
the circumstance that. while 1t Is impossible in day
light clearly into a on the opposite side
of the street 1t S easy to do 80 at night when the
room is artinciay illuminated. and also in daytime,
by rejecting into the strong rays Of light
from mirror he was led to the invention Of an
| eye-mirror. ophthamoscope. by which the in
terror OF the eye is readily examined. He described
this invaluable device in volume published In the
same year The results Of his further nvestiga tons
| OF the eye appeared In work entitled Manual OF
| Physiological Optics" Which published in 1856
| and has since ranked as one Of the most i'm
portant works eXtant that subject In this
treatise HcmhOz gives not only the results OF his
Investigations. important as they are, but also
| one Of the complete histories OF optics ever
written. He also discusses the doctrine Of sight
perception and the analysis and appreciation Of
| coors This was followed by him with second
volume the transmission Of nervous impressions.
a highly valuable addition 10 the literature of ply
| sioioscal science.
INVESTIGATIONS AT BONN.
The University OF Bonn was the OF Helm
holtzs chief investigation in acoustic physiology,
| in which he laid the foundations OF the work which
| has made his name most famous in the scientific
! annals Of the world lie here invented a method
| Of Analysing sound by the OF hollow bodies.
called resonators, In which the air vlbrates In the
presence Of previously determined sounds. lie thus
| discovered that the difference Of quality in the
| INHERENT compositions Of the tones He also dis
covered thu acoustic origin Of the vowel sounds OF
1 and only
| proilced them artihcaiy with tunlng-forks He
demonstrated that there are but Few primary SOUNDS
| there few primary coiors. ana that as me
coors Of objects in nature and art are formed
| hy Combinations and notifications OF the primary
| hues. most sounds complex IN character. He
showed that the painful effect upon the eye caused
by a faint unsteady light Is Identical In nature
with the unpleasant impression produced upon the
ear by Il succession OF shocks OF sound. Indeed. II
respondence between sound and light by demonstrate
| ing the existence Of series OF Sound colors' ar
| spectrum TO him also are to be attributed the in
vention Of the ophthamometer. which measures ac-
table OF compound co0rs, produced by mixing other
vibration. Of the movement OF electricity in various
conductors and OF the motion Of light and lis re-
It is by no means the least Of Hemhotz's glory
that he fucceeled in popularizins the branches OF
OF humanity should reap the fruit Of his abors both
In knowledge and In applied results To this end he
frequently appeared befor. the public as Il lecturer
in many cities and he was for many years in in
uIsr scientist the late john Tynda Many Of his
lectures were published in English and other Ian
which they treat are the conservation Of force, the
nature OF human perception, natural philosophy anil
harmony. progress in the theories OF sight optical
vision and paintins. ana Ice and glaciers .,.,
Helmholtz's work for science and FOR humanity was
OF the highest Importance. and I, cannot be said
Ing his lifetime As early as 1870 the French Acad-
envy elected him @ its foreign membership. There
vas some slight objection 70 him on account Of his
nationality but Il soon disappeared before the
SAID: You viii place yourself in bad light befor.
the world II for any reason you refuse TO admit
the passtS hs al" ia 5 Sir cs M
in awarding to. Heimholtz the .Copey medal. and
said II you'd be difficult for me- within the limits
Of this to ss 4e nHmSeI ana o
milton. His published books on the conservation Of
on physiological optics have assisted greatly in the
progress OF their respective sciences His memoirs
dynamcal theory. instruments FOR the exact meas
and other important subjects and have been gem
orally recognized as giving real additions TO our
decree raising him to the rank OF nobility. and from
other countries and from numerous learned bodies
and institutions he has received tokens OF highest
honor.
HIS PRINCIPAL PUBLISHED WORKS.
Among his published works be- mentioned
the following: Heat Considered a Mode OF Mo-
ton" dsjG 81 ell 1870. "On the Nerves OF the In
vertebrate QS,9. "A Sketch OF the Construction
of the Living Eye OS5lD. ION the Theory of Per-
manent Coors' 0S52,. ION the Relations Of Natural
Science with the Latest Discoveries in Physics"
ds5D ION the Sight OF Man" QSS5). He a!s)
the author OF the following articles physiological
OPTICS" in the Universal Encyeiopedia OF Physics
$50 ION the Distribution OF Nerve Matter 1SO)
ION the Force Required FOR the Production OF Flee.
tric Currents" ON Brewster's New Analysis OF
Solar Light qs5D. ION the FORMATION q Electric
Currents I'm Living Bodies QS59. ION the Origins
of Force According to Claudus' $50. ION the
Lights OF the Soar Spectrum, Gs,5). ION
the Lines in the Solar spectrum ds55,; The Tees-
tsreJs ,Ope'' $50 The Sources of Muscular En- |
ergy" dsi5). ION Method Of Measuring Small In.
teryals OF Muscular Action and the Indications OF
physiological Design dS52,. ION Heat Generated By
Muscular Action" dsiS. Measurements Affecting |
the Periodical Contraction OF Muscles and the Dis |
trlbuton OF the Nerves Contained in Them' $50, !
and ION the Accommodation Of the Eye QS55,.
Ue,mholtz visited this country In 1898 and spent |
some time at the Columbian Exhibition at Chicago !
In Dcfnher OF that wear. lust before returning 70