Charles Arad Joy

“ This investigation forms an epoch in the history of chemistry. Previous to this time the so-called organic world and the functions of vital force were believed to constitute a realm by themselves. Berzelius had said distinctly in his great text-book that we should never be able to imitate the products of vital force in our laboratories. We could destroy and could build up material things, but to imitate the vital forces would always be impossible. Wöhler, at the age of twenty-eight, overthrew this theory and created a revolution in the domain of chemistry. ”

“ Acting upon this advice, Wöhler wrote to Berzelius for permission to study in the laboratory at Stockholm, and received from the great Swedish chemist the following answer: “Any one who has studied chemistry under the direction of Leopold Gmelin has very little to learn from me; but, nevertheless, I can not forego the pleasure of making your personal acquaintance, and will therefore cheerfully accept you as the companion of my labors. You can come whenever it is agreeable to you.” ”

“ All who have had the privilege of nearer relations to him have learned to love him as a man, revere him as a teacher, and respect him for the profundity of his knowledge.
Professor Wöhler has been twice married. His first wife died many years ago, leaving a son and daughter. His only son now resides near Göttingen, and is a wealthy landed proprietor; the daughter by the first marriage is the wife of the Burgomeister of Göttingen, and has children and grandchildren, so that Wöhler lives to see several great-grandchildren gather at his family board. ”

“ Gay-Lussac had proposed the question in the early part of the century whether, when cyanogen was treated with alkalies, a cyanic acid might not be produced, and it was in answer to this question that Wöhler published his first paper in Gilbert's “Annalen” in the year 1822. It was at the same time that Liebig, then a boy in years, had gone to Paris to show Gay-Lussac what he had done in the same direction; and it was Humboldt who aided the boy chemist in Paris, just as he did Wöhler in Berlin in later years. ”

“ The venerable and hospitable Hisinger, so well known for his contributions to the geology and mineralogy of Sweden, and also for the liberality with which he had supported Berzelius during the commencement of his studies, lived here, a very rich man, on a princely estate, surrounded by magnificent forests, gardens, and mines. ”

“ While preparing to habilitate himself at the university, he enjoyed the intimate friendship of Dr. Buch and of the celebrated astronomer Summering, who was then much occupied with observations on the sun's spots, and with experiments on the concentration of alcohol through membranes. Wöhler undertook at this time the translation of Berzelius's “Jahresbericht,” which Christian Gmelin, of Tübingen, Berzelius's first German pupil, transferred to him, as he himself could no longer continue it. ”

“ After spending one year at Marburg, Wöhler went to Heidelberg, filled with enthusiasm for Leopold Gmelin, who became his most cherished friend and master. He wished to attend Gmelin's lectures on chemistry, but was told by that professor that it was superfluous, and he accordingly abandoned the idea, and thus secured more time for work in Gmelin's laboratory and for intimate personal intercourse with this amiable and learned man. ”

“ The boy was faithful in his attendance upon the exercises of the school, and satisfactorily passed all of his examinations, but was not distinguished for much knowledge of the ancient languages; indeed, his passionate love of the chemical and physical sciences and his zeal in collecting minerals absorbed so much of his time and tempted him so frequently to neglect both the classics and mathematics that private tutors were occasionally necessary to coach him over difficult passages or knotty problems. ”

“ He permitted Wöhler to read his correspondence with these celebrated men, and also to peruse his journal of a visit to Paris and London. When the weather became more moderate and the days grew longer, Wöhler made short excursions to the mines, factories, and mineral deposits of the neighborhood of Stockholm, on some of which occasions he was accompanied by Berzelius. The first analysis which Berzelius gave Wöhler to make was that of a new zeolite. In reality he performed the work himself, in order to show his method and all the manipulations peculiar to himself. ”

“ No envy and no jealousy appear to have cast a shadow upon their friendship, and the large accumulation of letters in Wöhler's hands testifies to the tribute of respect and affection which Liebig showed toward one who could have been a most dangerous rival.
Wöhler's career took an unexpected turn during the winter of 1824-'25. The Gewerbeschule was at that time founded in Berlin. It consisted of but one class in the beginning, to which Henry Rose gave instruction in chemistry. ”

“ Wöhler was one of the competitors for the prize offered by the medical faculty for a thesis on the “Migration of Matter into Urine,” and had the good fortune to be successful. Among other things, it was shown by this research that plant-alkalies, in their transformation through the blood, are changed into carbonates. In September, 1823, Wöhler passed the university examination, and received the degree of Doctor of Medicine and Surgery, “nec non artis obstetriciæ.” ”