Origins of Mendelism / Robert C. Olby, with an introduction by Professor C. D. Darlington.

  • Olby, Robert C. (Robert Cecil), 1933-
Date:
1966
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Origins of Mendelism / Robert C. Olby, with an introduction by Professor C. D. Darlington. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Appendix 177 after having finished his philosophical studies, he felt him¬ self compelled to step into a station of life, which would free him from the bitter struggle for existence. His circum¬ stances decided his vocational choice. He requested and received in the year 1843 admission to the Augustinian Monastery St. Thomas in Altbrünn. Through this step, his material circumstances changed completely. With the comfortableness of his physical exis¬ tence, so beneficial to any kiad of study, the respectfully undersigned regained his courage and strength and he studied the classical subjects prescribed for the year of probation with much liking and devotion. In the spare hours, he occupied himself with the small botanical- mineralogical collection which was placed at his disposal in the monastery. His special liking for the field of natural science deepened the more he had the opportunity to become familiar with it. Despite his lack of any oral guidance in these studies, plus the fact that the auto- didactic method here, as perhaps in no other science, is extremely difficult and leads to the goal only slowly, he became so attached to the study of nature from this time on that he will not spare any effort to fiU the gaps that are still present through self instruction and the advice of experienced men. In the year 1846, he also attended courses in agriculture, pomiculture, and wine-growing at the Philosophical Academy in Brünn (enclosure, H, I, K). After completing the theological studies in 1848, the respectfully undersigned received permission from his prelate to prepare himself for the philosophical rigorosum [examination for the Doctor of Philosophy degree]. In the following year at the time when he was about to undergo his examination, he was asked to accept the position of a substitute teacher at the Imperial Royal Gymnasium in Znaim, and he followed this call with pleasure. From the beginning of his substitute teaching, he made all efforts to present his assigned subjects to the students in an easily comprehensible manner. He hopes his endeavour was not 13