The republic sometimes conferred on him temporary offices, which his philosophical talents enabled him to ful fil with distinguished advantage ; and he was always ready to employ these talents for the public good. While he was governor of the canton of L'Aigle, he essentially benefited the resources of the state, by improving the manufacture of salt. He exerted himself for the establishment of a house for the maintenance and education of orphans and the chil dren of decayed citizens, and also a school for the education of the children of the more opulent classes, in which the acquisition of useful knowledge was preferred to the ob jects of a scholastic discipline. By his influence, the situa tion of the clergy of the Pais de Vaud, which had been wretched and degrading, was rendered comfortable and re spectable.
The university of Gottingen, and its patron the King of Britain, solicited him to return to that place, offering him the chancellorship on the death of The King of Prussia offered to make him chancellor of the University of Halle, and the Empress of Russia made tempting proposals to induce him to go to Petersburg. But he preferred re maining in the bosom of his native country, which at this time testified its respect for his character, and its desire of retaining him, by voting to him a competent annual salary. In 1776, he received the order of the Polar Star front the King of Sweden.
The Emperor of Germany, in the course of his last tra vels, visited Haller, and found him labouring under an accu mulation of infirmities which he evidently could not long support. On his return to Vienna, he sent him some bot tles of wine of uncommon excellence, with a quantity of the best bark ; but I laller, before he had it in his power to set the clue value on this simple tribute of private friend. ship from that monarch, had paid the debt of nature. The emperor received the news of his death with unfeigned grief; and afterwards, in order to secure an honourable relict, and a useful memorial of the studies of this great man, he purchased his library, and had it conveyed to Milan.
His disease was a form of rctrocedent gout, affecting the region of the bladder, and was accompanied with so much inconvenience that he was obliged to confine him self at home. Ile published among the memoirs of the Society of Gottingen, au account of its progress, and of his personal experience of the effects of opium and other re medics. In the midst of this distressing illness, he pub lished a second edition of his great work on physiology.
M. Rosselet, his physician, told him, at his own desire, his opinion of the exact time at which he was likely to die. In his last moments lie was perfectly collected, and, with his hand on his pulse, coolly remarked to NI. Rosse let that it had now ceased to beat.
He had eleven children, eight of whom he lived to see established, 20 grand-children, and before his death two great-grand-children. His eldest son, Gottlieb Emanuel, was afterwards an eminent citizen of Berne, and distin guished for his historical learning.
Haller was of the Protestant religion, and sincerely at tached to his religious principles. La Mett•ie, in dedicat
ing to hini a work in support of materialism, created in him the utmost horror and distress, by affecting to repre sent his discoveries as the most valuable proofs of this doctrine. His mode of life was rigidly sober. His only beverage was water, and he delighted to represent the un fitness of-the climate of Berne for the culture of the grape as a signal advantage conferred by nature on his country.
Haller was exceeded by none of his contemporaries in the extent of his general information. He was well ac quainted with most of the languages of Furope, and ear n esponded with the utmost facility with the literati of France, England, Italy, Holland, Denmark, and Sweden, in their respective native languages.
A more industrious literary life than that of Haller can not be imagined. Every moment of•his time was occupi ed. The reading of new books, and the composition of the lighter species of memoirs, and articles for reviews, were his only pastimes. During a long state of delicate health his bed was in his library, where he sometimes spent months without ever going out. There he eat his [Heals, and, with the society of his family and his books, he concen trated within this narrow space all that he held most dear on earth. He communicated to those around him a taste for scientific pursuits. His house was a sort of sanctuary of the sciences. He was assisted by his pupils, who had the range of his library and his theatre. His wife acquired the art of drawing and painting,, for the purpose of tendering herself useful to him. His children, friends, and fellow citizens, all ieet-arded it as their duty to contribute to his labours. uncommon sensibility subjected him to quick alter anions of pain and pleasure. lie rarely joined in ge neral social parties. When he did, lie often rendered him self extremely agreeable ; his conversation, however, was always that of a man of learning ; even on trifling subjects, lie display ed profound sense, and a spirit of application. Ile was above the ordinary size,—his eyes were lively ,— and his countenance noble and expressive.
Ile was probably the most voluminous writer after Ga len. His Latin style is sometimes dry, complicated, and not readily understood by persons unaccustomed to it : but the profundity of views, the well connected strain of reflec tion, and the weal erudition with which his works are re plete, never fail to reward the reader. Various as the subjects were which occupied his pen, he spews a consist ency of doctrine, and a unity of views and of method, which characterise solidity of judgment, and announce a com manding genius. His works on medical science will long continue to be read with profit, when the labours of many others, which have attracted the notice of the day, are re duced, by the cool decision of posterity, to their just rank —that of being regarded as the errors of exuberant fancy, imposing on the age in which they appeared, by laying premature and peremptory claim to the credit of regular scientific systems. See Viet] d'Azyr's Eloges ; Henry's Life of Haller ; and Haller's Bibliotheca Anatomies. (a n.)