It is impossible in a few words to give a correct account of the work of
Woehler, and to show in what way his life and work have been of such
great value to chemistry. Could he himself direct the preparation of
this notice, the writer knows that his advice would be, "Keep to the
facts." So far as any one phrase can characterize the teachings of
Woehler, that one does it; and though enthusiasm prompts to eulogy, let
us rather recall the plain facts of his life, and let them, in the main,
speak for themselves.[1]
[Footnote 1: See Kopp's "Geschichte der Chemie," iv., 440.]
He was born in the year 1800 at Eschersheim, a village near
Frankfort-on-the-Main. From his earliest years the study of nature
appears to have been attractive to him. He took great delight in
collecting minerals and in performing chemical and physical experiments.
While still a boy, he associated with a Dr. Buch, of Frankfort, and was
aided by this gentleman, who did what he could to encourage in the young
student his inclination toward the natural sciences. The first paper
which bears the name of Woehler dates from this period, and is upon the
presence of selenium in the iron pyrites from Kraslitz. In 1820 he went
to the University of Marburg to study medicine. While there he did not,
however, neglect the study of chemistry. He was at that time
particularly interested in an investigation on certain cyanogen
compounds.
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