[12.] [Extract from the ‘Twelfth Report of the Upper-Hessian Association for Natural and Medical Science,’
(‘Oberhessische Gesellschaft für Natur und Heilkunde,’) Giessen, February 1867.]
P. 155. Report on the doings and condition of the Association from the 1st of July, 1863, to the 1st of July, 1865, by Herr Gymnasiallehrer Dr. W. Diehl.
... On the 13th of February [1864], ‘On the Tones of the Magnet, with Application to the Telephone, with experiments,’ by Professor Buff.
Exhibition of the Telephone to the Naturalists’ Association of Germany. (Deutsche Naturforscher Versammlung.)
[By far the most important of all the public exhibitions given by Reis of his Telephone, was that which took place on the 21st of September, 1864, at Giessen, on the occasion of the meeting of the German Naturalists’ Association (Versammlung Deutsche Naturforscher). Here were assembled all the leading scientific men of Germany, including the following distinguished names, many of whom are still living:—Prof. Buff (Giessen), Prof. Poggendorff (Berlin), Prof. Bohn (Frankfurt-a.-M., now of Aschaffenburg), Prof. Jolly (Munich), Dr. Geissler (Bonn), Prof. Weber (Göttingen), Prof. Plücker (Bonn), Prof. Quincke (Heidelberg), Prof. Dellmann (Kreutznach), Prof. Böttger (Frankfurt-a.-M. and Mainz), Prof. Kekule (Bonn), Prof. Gerlach (Erlangen), Dr. J. Frick (Carlsruhe), Dr. F. Kohlrausch (Würtzburg), Prof. Reusch (Tübingen), Prof. J. Müller (Freiburg), Prof. Helmholtz (Heidelberg), Prof. Melde (Marburg), Prof. Kopp (Marburg), Prof. A. W. Hoffmann (London, now of Berlin), Mons. Hofmann (Paris, optician), Hofrath Dr. Stein (Frankfurt-a.-M.), Dr. W. Steeg (Homburg), Mons. Hartnack (Paris, and of Pottsdam), Prof. G. Wiedemann (Basel, now of Leipzig), E. Albert (Frankfurt-a.-M., mechanician), Dr. Thudichum (London), W. Schultze (York, apothecary), Dr. J. Barnard Davis (Shelton), E. J. Chapman (London, chemist), Dr. L. Beck (London, chemist), Prof. Chas. J. Himes (U.S.A., chemist), E. W. Blake (New Haven, U.S.A., student), C. G. Wheeler (United States Consul in Nürnberg), and many others. Dr. C. Bohn (now of Aschaffenburg) was Secretary of the Association, and also Secretary of the Section of Physics. The meetings of this Section were held in the Laboratory of Professor Buff. Reis came over from Friedrichsdorf accompanied by his young brother-in-law, Philipp Schmidt. A preliminary trial on the morning of that day was not very successful, but at the afternoon sitting, when communications were made to the Section by Prof. Buff, by Reis himself, and by Prof. Poggendorff, the instrument was shown in action with great success. Reis expounded the story how he came to think of combining with the electric current interruptor a tympanum in imitation of that of the human ear, narrating his researches in an unassuming manner that won his audience completely to him; and the performance of the instrument was received with great applause. Various professors essayed to experiment with the instrument, with varying degrees of success according to whether their voices suited the instrument or not. Amongst these were Prof. Böttger and Prof. Quincke of Heidelberg, whose account of the occasion is to be found on p. 112. Dr. Bohn, the Secretary of the Section, wrote for the ‘Journal’ (Tagesblatt), issued daily, the following notice.]
[13.] Extract from the Report of the German Naturalists’ Society, held at Giessen (1864).
“Afternoon sitting on 21st September, 1864.
“Prof. Buff speaks about the tones of iron and steel rods when magnetised, and exhibits the corresponding experiments.
“Dr. Reis demonstrates his Telephone, gives thereupon an explanation and the history of this instrument.