Müller, JOHANNES

Müller, JOHANNES, one of the most eminent physiologists of the 19th century, was born at Coblenz on 14th July 1801, studied at Bonn and Berlin, chiefly anatomy and zoology, and in 1826 was appointed professor of Physiology and Anatomy at Bonn; in 1833 he succeeded Rudolphi as professor of Anatomy and Physiology at Berlin, and held that post until his death, 28th April 1858. He is regarded as the founder of modern physiology, on the ground that he summed up the work of his predecessors, instituted the methods of ex- perimental and microscopic investigation of physiological properties, himself carried out and recorded most valuable observations in connection with the mechanism of sight, hearing, and voice, and the chemical and physical properties of chyle, lymph, and bile, and studied in an original and fruitful way the phenomena of reflex action and the glands. Moreover, his Handbuch der Physiologie des Menschen (2 vols. 1833-40; Eng. trans. 1840-49) exercised a great influence as a text-book of the science, and Müller counted amongst his pupils several men who soon stood in the front rank of German science, such as Helmholtz, Vierordt, Du Bois Reymond, &c. Müller was scarcely less eminent as a student of comparative anatomy; he observed rapidly and accurately, and possessed a remarkable insight into the interrelations of structural parts. In this department of work his most famous memoirs were those on the Amphioxus, on Fishes, the Echinoderms, and the Cæcilians. Several of his works were translated into English between 1839 and 1849.