Professor Heinrich Will

Abstract

THE sad announcement of the death of this well-known chemist from heart disease, on the 15th of this month, is made in the Chemiker Zeitung of the 22nd inst. Dr. Will was for thirty years Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Laboratories at the University of Giessen. He was born on December 8 in the memorable year 1812, at Weinheim, where his father held an important official position. After completing his studies at the High School of his native town, he devoted himself for a time to pharmacy. But in 1834 he entered the University of Heidelberg, and in the same year undertook the position of assistant in the laboratory under Prof. Geiger, and after that eminent chemist's decease, in 1836, under the celebrated Prof. L. Gmelin. In 1837, at the request of Prof, von Liebig, he removed to Giessen,. where he occupied the position of assistant until his graduation as Doctor in 1839. He then habilitated himself at the University as Privat-docent of Chemistry, his dissertation consisting of a description of his “Investigation of the Constitution of the Ethereal Oil of Black Mustard.” In 1842, Dr. Will undertook the direction of the newly-founded Filialslaboratorium, and in 1846 he received a call to the then recently inaugurated laboratory of the College of Chemistry in London. He, however, declined the offer, and was shortly afterwards appointed extraordinary Professor in the University of Giessen. After Prof, von Liebig's departure for Munich, in 1852,. Dr. Will became ordinary Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Chemical Laboratories of the University. During the session 1869–70, Prof. Will occupied the distinguished post of Rector of the University, and his inaugural address was a memorable one, treating of the relations between matter and force considered from the chemical standpoint. After forty years' unceasing labour as a teacher and an investigator he retired, at his own. request, in October 1882.