Abstract
THE Bulletin of the National Academy of Exact Sciences of Cordova, of which the three first numbers have lately reached this country, gives us an interesting account of a new endeavour of the well-known naturalist, Dr. Burmeister, to introduce scientific studies into his adopted country. In 1868 Dr. Burmeister presented a memorandum to Dr. Sarmiento, lately President of the Argentine Republic, upon the expediency of adding a Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences to the National University of San Carlos in Cordova. In response to this appeal authority was given to Dr. Burmeister by the Minister of Public Instruction to import eight professors from Germany to establish the Faculty; and Dr. Burmeister himself was appointed Special Commissioner for the purpose, and eventually Director of this branch of the University. For a long time, Dr. Burmeister tells us, his exertions to obtain a staff of professors from his old colleagues in Halle were unsuccessful. The novelty of the idea and the distance of Buenos Ayres rather stood in the way of his offers being accepted. At length, in 1870, two of the vacant posts were filled by the arrival of Dr. Max Siewert to occupy the chair of Chemistry, and of Dr. P. G. Lorrentz to fill that of Botany. In the following year the assistance of Dr. G. H. Weyenbergh, of Haarlem, was obtained for the chair of Zoology, and that of Dr. Sellack for the professorship of Medicine. Not until 1873 was the staff finally completed by the appointment of Dr. Vogler to the professorship of Mathematics. In the same year, as we understand from Dr. Burmeister's report, the plans for the construction of the new buildings necessary for the University were finally approved of by the National Congress, and the works are now in process of execution.
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Science in the Argentine Republic . Nature 11, 253 (1875). https://doi.org/10.1038/011253a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/011253a0