New-York tribune., 1902-09-06
RUDOLF VTRCHOW.

News OF the death of Rudolf Virchow comes
as strange shock To those who have thought
upon the subject IL is not unexpected. but they
are few 1t is true that year ago the world
was celebrating with international tributes OF
respect and gratitude the eightieth anniversary
of his birth. and when q man has passed his
eightieth year his expectation of life is brief
and his demise can at no time be regarded as
premature. Yet for the very reason Of his great
age his death is startling. For men bad for
many years looked upon him a classic figure.
standing apart from all limitations Of time ana
space-one who belonged TO all time and to the
universal race. That was q Just estimate OF
him, in respect of his character and achieve
ments. But in his mortal personality, which
was so largely forgotten by the world or over
looked by the side Of his colossal intellect. he
was subject to the law Of dissolution just as
are all members Of Adams race. The reminder
is unwelcome. but il is inezorable. and, after
all. it is salutary.
In this event the world is greatly bereaved.
II has lost one OF the greatest ntellects and one
of the noblest characters of the age 1t has
lost one Of the greatest benefactOrs OF the hui
man race Of this age and Of all ages Men
have called Virchow the founder OF modern
medical science. That characterization in the
singular number may be extreme AT least ne
was one Of its chief founders. He was second
10 no other. and we may count upon the nhSers
or the hand the few who are worthy 20 oe
ranked with him. It was one or the chIel
glorles OF the glorious nineteenth century that
1t practically created the science or heallhE.
To ii belonged the epoch making achievements
OF vaccination, anasthesia. bacterloiogy. ceiiu-
! lar pathology and antisepsis Under those hVe
heads we must place nine-tenths OF our palhol-
ogy. prophylaxis and therapeutics ana lhdeeo
OF all medical and surgical science since taI>
Vey. OF the authors Of those five achleFeineh's
one. the inventor of anaesthesia. remains unde-
termlned or disputed. One. the hlustrlous
apostle Of antisepsis still lives in honored and
active age One who could claim with fasleur
the distinction of primus inter pares in that dis
tinguished company has Just passed away.
The world is the poorer for the removal or so
inspiring a personality. It is immeasurabiy
the richer for the results of his works and re-
searches. which cannot be removed from II;
and those works were many and varied we
think of him first the iiscOverer ana Demon
strator of cellular pathology. the principle
which forms the cornerstone of medical science.
That was his chief gift TO the whole human
race. But II is worthy of remembrance that he
was. too. the statesman who organized the
financial system of the Prussian Government.
he was the municipal sanitarian who gave to
Berlin Its superb water supply and its unrivalied
system of sewage disposal and thus trans
termed one of the most unheathful of F"ro-
pean capitals into one of the most healthfui
FOR thirteen years leader in the imperial Par
haHent for forty years a leader in the Prus-
sian Parliament. and for more than for+y-two
years dominant member of the Municinal
council of Berlin. he presented such an example
OF the man of thoueht and the man OF affairs
nearly perhans. than anv other man of the are
ne approxtmated RI the Disruption Of universal
genius He was for two generations a universal
benefactor Of the race His name viii In ell