I’ve previously written about the amazing story of Julius Robert Mayer, the physician — not physicist — who first conceived of the concept of conservation of energy, and how he was then discredited by the British scientific community in favor of James Joule, who independently discovered and published the concept a year after Mayer did.

Recently, I picked up an old 1893 collection of Mayer’s surviving correspondence, and I am currently working my way through translating it (with the help of Google translate, which has gotten much better). But in the meantime, I found absolutely charming letters between Mayer and John Tyndall that I wanted to share here.

To review the history, though it can be found in full at the link above and I encourage folks to go read this amazing story: Mayer was utterly broken by the most prominent physicists in Britain, who in a fit of nationalism decided that Joule should get sole claim for the discovery of conservation of energy, evidence be damned. Mayer ended up taking a fall from a window that may have been a suicide attempt, and ended up in a cruel psychiatric institution for some time. But in 1862, London was hosting the International Exhibition (like a World’s Fair) and the Royal Institution asked John Tyndall, Irish physicist, to prepare a lecture on the exceedingly British discovery of “energy.” Tyndall agreed, but performed extensive research on the history of the subject to make sure he was getting it right. Along the way, he discovered the papers of Mayer, and he and his colleague Rudolf Clausius were astounded at Mayer’s insights and discoveries.

When it came time to present his lecture at the Royal Institution, Tyndall talked enthusiastically about all the important insights that came from the discovery of conservation of energy, leaving to the end of his talk his surprise revelation:

To whom then are we indebted for the striking generalizations of this evening’s discourse ? All that I have laid before you is the work of a man of whom you have scarcely ever heard. All that I have brought before you has been taken from the labours of a German physician , named Mayer. 

This led to a fiery back and forth between Tyndall and the aforementioned British scientists, but Tyndall was well up to the task. Eventually, Mayer was awarded the Copley medal in 1871, the most prestigious award of the Royal Society, and the medal was presented to Mayer along with a letter from Tyndall.

What I did not realize is that Tyndall and Mayer corresponded soon after Tyndall’s famous and infamous lecture, and their letters are absolutely lovely and what I want to share from the book of Mayer’s correspondence. Tyndall’s presentation to the Royal Institution took place on June 6, 1862; it seems that Mayer was made aware of it not long afterward but did not write to Tyndall until a year later. The letter, in full, is below.

Heilbronn, 31th May 1863

Esteemed Sir.

I hardly know how to find words to express the feelings which move me at the present moment. On the 16th of last June Professor Clausius conveyed to me the intelligence of your lecture at the Royal Institution. The hopes which in silence I ventured to cherish were more than fulfilled by the recognition, which you there accorded me; and I am still more deeply affected by the receipt of your last communications to the “Philosophical Magazine”. Your kindness impresses me all the more from the fact of my having, for many years been forced to habituate myself to a precisely opposite mode of treatment.

The question of priority as to the mechanical equivalent of heat I regarded as exhausted by my communication to the Academy of Sciences in Paris (” Comptes Rendus” vol. XXIX, p. 534), as my celebrated rival, Mr. Joule, did not, to my knowledge, reply to me. I have referred to this document in a communication to the Academy of Sciences in Vienna (1851, vol. VI, No. 5). Certainly, however, it has never been my desire to diminish in the slightest degree the achievements of the great Manchester physicist. I have never regarded him as an antagonist, but, as you have truly. expressed it, have always considered him to be an esteemed and renowned fellow-labourer in the same domain of thought. I gladly acknowledge that, were it not for his excellent experimental investigations, the doctrine of the conservation of force, or, as I should express it, Physical Stoichiometry, would not be able to show the fruits which it now exhibits. The name of Joule moreover is quite as famous in Germany as in England.

J.R. Mayer

This letter is so exceedingly gracious, especially considering how cruelly Mayer’s labors were dismissed on Joule’s behalf. But this is, in my opinion, how science should be viewed and done — not as a race, but as a collaborative effort between scientists, each of whom brings their own unique talents and contributions to the table. I was really moved reading this letter, seeing that Mayer started to see his work vindicated much earlier than I previously realized.

Tyndall wrote back an equally gracious letter to Mayer:

Royal Institution
Albemarle street London
17th June 1863

My dear Sir.

It gave me the greatest pleasure to receive a letter from you, and still greater pleasure to find that what I have written and spoken regarding you has given you satisfaction. My task has not been a difficult one. From the moment when I first became acquainted with your writings I knew that your reputation was secure. And though I have encountered an amount and a kind of opposition which I did not anticipate, still with so good a cause I should not fear to encounter far greater.

It is a great delight to me to be the means of setting before the people of England the claims of a man to whom we owe so much. And depend upon it as far as England is concerned your reputation will triumph over all antagonism.

With regard to Mr. Joule- no man esteems him more highly than I do and I knew that you would have this feeling. You ought never to be put in opposition to each other , you ought both to stand side by side like brothers , and no man ought to attempt to put to claims of one above those of the other. This I think will be the course which the future historian of science will pursue.

It would give me great delight to make your personal acquaintance, and should I , during the next vacation, or any subsequent vacation come near you I shall certainly do myself the pleasure of finding you out.

Your works are appearing in the Philosophical Magazine. Knowing their value I induced the Editor to publish translations of them. Three of them have already appeared and the only one that remains is “Die organische Bewegung” which will also appear in due time.

Let me express to you again the great pleasure which your letter has given me and wish you health and happiness to enjoy your well own honour.

Yours most sincerely
John Tyndall.

Again, it just makes me happy reading such a letter! Nothing but graciousness and positivity between the two eminent scientists, as it should be. It is also noteworthy that Tyndall was the driving force to have translations of Mayer’s work published in English in the Philosophical Magazine, which certainly led to Mayer’s eventual broad recognition.

I do not know if Tyndall ever had the chance to visit Mayer, though I will investigate further to see.

There is so much more to say about this whole saga, including more letters, notably from Clausius to Mayer about Mayer’s work. Expect more from me in the future on this!