Appendix 1. Virchow's Last Year

Appendix 1. Virchow’s last year 1a. The celebration of Rudolph Virchow’s 80th Birthday A personal impression by Sir Felix Semon, Berlin, October 13th, 1901 With additional comments by other correspondents. The British Medical Journal ii, October 19th: 1180–1182 (1901) “COMMON admiration for great and good men draws nations together, and common pursuit of noble and scientific objects makes a brotherhood of intellectual interest.” These warm-hearted words from Dr. Pye-Smith’s contribution towards the international “Virchow Number” of the Berliner klinische Wochen- schrift may fitly be taken as giving the keynote to the days through which we are living at the present moment. Unique as the man, in whose honour we are assembled here, are the celebrations on the occasion of his eightieth birthday, which a kind fate has permitted him to see in full and undimmed vigour of mind and body. From almost every European country, from America, from Japan, have representatives of all the manifold interests with which Virchow’s name has been and for ever will be connected, hurried to Berlin to “lay their wreaths at the great pathologist’s feet,” foremost amongst them, it need hardly be said, members of that profession which, without difference of nationality, looks upon him as its brightest, proudest ornament. It would be impossible for me, not having the official list of guests at my command, to enumerate all the distinguished guests and delegates who have flocked to Berlin. Suffice it to say that, besides representatives of all the German universities, societies, learned bodies, municipal corporations, Great Britain and Ireland are represented by Lord Lister (Royal Society and numerous other institutions), Sir Felix Semon (Royal College of Physicians), Mr. Howard Marsh (Royal College of Surgeons), Dr. Rose Bradford (Royal Medical and Chirurgical Society), Mr. Watson Cheyne (Pathological Society), Professor Muir (University of Glasgow), and Dr. Graham Brown (Royal College of Physi- cians of Edinburgh); France by Professor Cornil; Italy by His Excellency Professor Baccelli, Minister of Agriculture, and by Professor Maragliane; the Nether- lands by Professor Stokvis;Austria by Professors Toldt,Weichselbaum, and var- ious other delegates; Denmark by Professor Salomonsen; Norway by Professor Armauer Hansen; Switzerland by Professor Ruge; Russia by Professor von 251 Appendix 1. Virchow’s last year Raptschewski and several other men of science. In fact, there is hardly a single country which has not sent one or several representatives. The festivities were ushered in by a dinner on Friday evening, given by Pro- fessor Posner, one of the editors of the Berliner klinische Wochenschrift, which was of an absolutely international character.The hostess sat between Lord Lister and Professor Baccelli, next to whom in turn were placed Virchow himself and Professor von Leyden, whilst opposite were the Rector of Berlin University and Professor Gerhardt.Then followed, harmoniously mixed, a profusion of medical talent of all countries. The host, in a polyglot speech, drank to the health of all his guests, and Professor Baccelli most felicitously replied:“To the Queen of the Banquet, to the Emperor of Pathology, to the Senate of Science”. Lord Lister toasted host and hostess, and the Rector of Berlin University, Professor Hart- nack, the absent Mrs.Virchow.This brought Virchow himself to his feet, and we enjoyed the somewhat unusual pleasure of his proposing the health of a dignity of the Church. (Professor Hartnack is a Professor of Theology.) It was late before the company separated, soon to assemble again at the Hotel Bristol, where at an informal meeting under Professor Waldeyer’s presidency all arrangements were made for the official celebration. The latter from beginning to end was so extraordinary of its kind, that as yet but three things stand out prominently from the kaleidoscopic impressions which overwhelmed us yesterday: the conviction that surely never before had a richer life been lived than Virchow’s, the joy and gladness that on the evening of such a life the achievements of this unique man are universally acknowledged without a single dissentient voice being heard, the thankfulness that such a man should have been spared to the world in such astonishing vigour of mind and body as this “Grand Old Man of Science”. For to begin with the last-named fact, surely it was astonishing that in the morning this octogenarian should have on the eve of his eightieth birthday treated the audience, which he had invited to his pathological museum, the pride and the joy of his old age, to a wonderful retrospect of the past, and a sketch of the future of pathology, made in a speech of one and a-half hour’s duration, a speech made without notes, should have sat through and have made at a two hours’ dinner in the evening one of the most felicitous and humorous dinner speeches ever heard, and should after this have listened and replied – standing almost the whole time – to speech-making, which lasted from 9.30 to 12.30 p.m. without any interruption, saying a kind word or two to almost everybody who had come to do him honour. But to remain in order and do my duty as faithful chronicler of events. At noon yesterday (Saturday) a most distinguished audience thronged, on the “Jubilar’s” own invitation, the amphitheatre of his museum. Secretaries of State, representatives of the German Army Medical Service, all his professorial col- leagues, delegates from every civilised country, former assistants, now great men themselves, and pupils galore sat, as of old, at the master’s feet and listened spellbound to his broad-minded, philosophical statements concerning the mean- 252 1a. The celebration of Rudolph Virchow’s 80th Birthday ing of the word “pathology”, to his historical description of the development of his science, to his spirited defence of the views which he has unwaveringly held throughout his long life, to the sketch of the aims which he hopes will be stead- fastly followed in his Institut, even when his strong hand – absit omen – should no longer guide it. It was a wonderful feat, and we all felt we had been privi- leged to be present at a historical occasion. At the end of Virchow’s oration, Surgeon – General Schäfer, the head of the Charité Hospital, with which the Pathological Institute is connected, expressed to him in warm, well-chosen words the thanks of the authorities of the hospital, and in conclusion our great teacher gave a demonstration of a series of beautiful photomicrographs of animal and vegetable parasites thrown upon a screen.After this the audience dispersed to admire the treasures of the museum, brought together and arranged with never – resting industry mainly by himself. But if the morning was most interesting it was surpassed by the evening. At 6 P.M. a company of 200, including Virchow’s family, sat down to dinner in the Festraum of the beautiful new abode of the Prussian House of Commons. From amongst the numerous speeches made I single out for special mention the heartfelt words of three hale and hearty contemporaries of Virchow’s, Drs. Körte, Langerhans, and Meyer, who told us of their recollections of “young” Virchow, who testified to the influence he had exercised upon their development, who praised him as a husband, a father, a lover of his domestic pets. And most interesting in the same connection was the speech made by Privy Coun- cillore1 Althoff, who had unearthed from the archives of the Cultus–Minis- terium,Virchow’s application for matriculation, dated Easter, 1839, the German essay he wrote on this occasion, entitled, “A Life Full of Work and Labour is no Burden but an Enjoyment”, and the report he received after examination. The latter, Dr. Althoff stated, was “somewhat monotonous”, there being no other terms in it than “excellent”, “very good”, “most satisfactory”. Even in “singing” he had satisfied his masters! It was a charming idea of the speaker’s to have had the two first-named documents reprinted, adorned by a portrait of the “Jubilar” at the age of 6 (!), which already foreshadows the massive fore- head and the penetrating eyes of the future man (although the nose, he humor- ously observed, had since been improving), and to distribute the whole under the title “Little Virchow” amongst the company. After dinner we all adjourned to the imposing meeting room of the Prussian House of Commons, where meanwhile a large and distinguished company, including many ladies in brilliant toilettes, had assembled, and now the ceremony proper of the occasion began. It was a never-to-be-forgotten picture.The whole scientific world had assembled it seemed to do honour to one man. A never- ending stream of bearers of the most illustrious names, decked with glittering stars and decorations, clad in the picturesque uniforms of many nations, bear- ing addresses, medals, pictures executed in Virchow’s honour, passed our dear old master, who for once in his life had donned his own high decorations, and 253 Appendix 1. Virchow’s last year who stood there erect, modestly listening to every word said in his praise, a tower of intellectual strength, and yet with a kind smile on his lips, a warm word, a firm shake of his hand for everybody who had come to congratulate him. It was a marvellous, an unforgettable sight! How much must this man, long though his life has been, have done, that the whole world should thus have united to do him honour! That thought, I believe, must have impressed itself with ever-increasing force, upon every witness of this imposing ceremony; that thought prevented it, in spite of its length, from ever becoming tedious; that thought filled us all with ever-growing respect and admiration for this unique man, as deputation after deputation passed and testified to what Vir- chow had been to them, what he had done for them.

Load more