The times., 1898-01-24
A TRIUMPH OF SCIENCE

window of the hotel. There was Eng
| land, the landscape painter; Harrison,
the civil engineer; Eardley Britton, the
professor of physiology, and myself.
Outside there was a whisk of rain
in the air. The surf was coming up
thunderously on the beach, so yards
away. Dusk had fallen very rapidly,
and far out at sea the ligktship's chal-
lenge flashed at regular intervals. We
lit out pipes. Politics had been dis
! cussed, books talked over and moth
ing remained but the last refuge of
| the Weary-Story-teiling
Harrison tried to thrill us with a
I profoundly uninterestins tale of
Dr:tge, judged by him to be safe which
had gone down minutes after Cor
was Ii before?) he had tested it. Eng
| iand told at great length a narrowing
recital of the loss and recovery OF one
! OF his own pictures, wnicn some pre-
/ sumably bad judge of painting had
! stolen. To impart little life to the
| gathering, 1 told very good story,
| thoroughly original, about stopping at
| an inn on the slopes of the Black For
/ est Mountains; how | had not liked
! the landlords appearance and how
| he very nearly robbed and murdered
me, but for my presence of mind in
Z
to say, the story also fell fiat, and so
we asked Britton for a tale. He smil-
ed sadly and puffed away at his pipe.
An, we'll, said he. You fellows
| may laugh, but I've had one stirring
| adventure in my time. young as l am
| cit is hardly necessary for me to state
that Brltton's discoveries in brain ply
sloiogy had won him his d. Sc. of Lon
don University at the age of twenty
SIX and thar Eie ffTrth har-
given him worldwide fame.) II have
never told this to any one before"
went on BrittOn, "as I've always felt
rather nervous about it. But it's five
years ago now, so / think I'll venture,
If you care to listen. Charge your
pipes, please. There's some Latakia
here, if you care to try it.
1T was just after 1 got by D. Sc
went straight to Leipsic to study un-
der Virhof. | had good recommends
tons from Crane, Thompson and other
big lights. Taking one thing with an
other, | felt on good terms with myself
when / stepped out of the train at the
Schlosswein terminus. L first hunted
for lodgings, but they all seemed full.
till at last | turned down a street Of
dark, tall houses, and in the window
OF one stood the welcome announce
ment that lodgings We're TO be let with
in. The place suited me admirably, es-
pecialiy as there was large rambling
room under the roof which / saw at
once would be the very thing for my
laboratory. So had my traps brought
up. and was soon quite at home. OF
course, 1 quickly introduced myself to
the great VirhOff. He was man about
seventy years of age. white haired.
venerable, and with a look of gentle
and placid serenity on his face. He
had, in fact what you would call a
thoroughly benevolent appearance. and
a child would trust him at first sight
| can't tell you how kindly he received
me, or now quickly he put me at my
ease. He soon got me TO talk to him
about my work, and | could see he was
surprised at its extent. 1 went home,
highly delighted with my reception, as
you may suppose. L had looked for |
some soured old yotary of science, and !
10, a genial old philanthropist.
During the next six months / work !
ed hard. and found the benefit of such |
teaching as Nirhoff could undoubtedly /
give. On certain phases of brain ply /
siology he was sublime, and would 1
have inspired a clod. Now, all this I
time l was busy in my spare moments +
on the 'medul1a obIongata and its func- /
tions, and l thought something might /
come OF my researches in that direc- |
ton. though, truth 10 say, / had very |
hazy notions about what did come at /
last. But / was very shy about this /
private work of mine. and although /
talked freely enough with my master
on other topics l did not say anything
about my pet subject. Looking back
now, | can think of no other reason
than shyness.
"One day, however, after an unusu-
ally brilliant lecture of Virhoff's,
waited for him, and we sauntered slow
~ down the street together, his arm |
resting affectionately in mine. Neither !
spoke for some time, so at last he said /!
you seem dull today. Is it that you are
in what you English call "a brown
study ~ I was thinking. said NOV
ed to sudden confidence, of some re-
searches l have been recently making
'Ah, yes said he inquiringly, in what
direction? Well. master / replied. I
have been doing what many men be-
fore have tried to do; that is find out
the precise functions of the medulla
AS l said the words. / felt
my arm violently pressed by that OF the
old man, as if he had felt a sudden cleo
trio shock. / looked up in surprise
Pardon me- he said; 1t is a slight af-
fection of the heart to which l am sub
ject. You were saying But. mas
ter, 1 replied, this is dangerous. Have
you consulted any one? No. noi' he |
cried. impatiently. Don't think any
more about it. You We're saying some
thing about some little researches of
yours. You must let me come to see
your laboratory. Perhaps | may be |
able to give you some hints ] thank
ed him effusively, and we bade fare {
well at the corner of my street.
"A few weeks passed away. and l
was getting feverishly anxious. My en- {
periments We're turning out even more {
successful than / had hoped and light {
was beginning to dawn on me. / saw
the goal of my hopes very near a hand. I
strove hard to be methodical in my
work, and each series of experiments, /
whether ultimately successful or not,
was duly entered in a separate note 5
book. Virhoff, in the meanwhile had {
been. if possible, kinder to me than
ever and it was evident. I think, to all {
that I was his pet pupil One day he
said to me: We'll. dear pupil, and how
go the researches? / must call in this
evening and see your little workshop,
IS it not so?' l told him l should be
1nly too honored, and it was arranged
that he should call in about o'clock
1n his way home from a friends house.
'As I sat. just when dusk was COM :
ng on, smoking a solitary pipe mod {
fcation of my latest experiment sud- | |
lenly came into my head 1t was
startling idea and / rushed into my q
laboratory and plunged at once in me- !
iias res. For some time / worked in
iilence, expectation at fever-point. Sud
lenly 1 dropped my scaIpel, and drew !
ong breath. 1 had finished. My work ',
vas over. and the discovery was made. !.
Ny brain was all in whirl, and / had =