The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-01-11
What II Chemist Has Done for France.

In modern society, industrial progress
is closely connected with scientific
studies. Practical men are dependent
on students, and the success of the hitter
IN original researches insurcs success to
the former III incre asing wealth. An
humble scientific observer in France
has made larger contributions to the ma
tional wealth than eminent iinnncicrs
like Sully and Turgot. A competent
judge declares that Professor pastcur
has saved enough to France by his dis
coveries to pay the entire indemnity to
Germany. He is great chemist, and
enc of the most skillful experimenters i'll
the world. For many years he has been
subiecting the theory of spontaneous
generation to the most severe scientific
tests, and is positive in his conviction
that all life. so far us we know it, springs
from living seed or germs. He confirms
the maxim of the ncients by his own
experiences. On,nc cirum cr OrO--thc
egg must always precede life. In the
course of his experiments to discover by
the microscope the various kinds of seed
invisible in the air and capable of growth,
he has found the KEY to diseases in the
grapevine, in the silkworm, and in wines
aud vinegnrs. Franco has large com
merce in wines. But from causes I'M
known to the manufacturers these wines
lose their good qualities, turning sour or
bitter and unfit for sale. The experience
OF the best dealers has been baillod in
seekinGa remedy for the difficulty. Pro-
fessur Pnsteur put some of the spoiled
wine under the microscope and soon dis
covered the cause of the trouble. Mi
mute organisms were found in the wine
i'll every instance, and the change of
quality was due 20 their presence and
growth. or course they grew from
g rms. and if the germs could be de-
stroyed the mischief would be avelted.
Judging from experiments in other
liquids that heat would be fatal to the
germs. he subjected the wines 10 n de-
gree of heat which they could bear with
ont injury and found that all the germs
were destroyed. The winemakers profit
by the science OF the chemist and save
millions of dollars formerly lost by the
spelling of the wines. Having been sue
cessIll in making wine unalterable he
turned his attention to vinegar. This
was subject 10 changes which made it
putril and worthless. He detected au-
other kind of organism in vinegar, and
taught the dealers how to destroy it IN
germ and keep the vinegar lmharmed.
He next attempted to find the cause and
cure of disease which was running the
silk husbandly of France. Silkworms
ceased to spin; they lived and fed as
usual, hut produced no silk. Cultiva-
tors were puzzled to understand the mat
ter; and, after vain efforts to read the
riddle. We're inclined TO give up silk
raising as practical failure. But
Pastem with his microscope saw what
the sharp eyes OF the growers could not
discover. He found that the disease,
called pebrip. was due to IA minute para
site i'll the intestine of the silkworm,
which spread through the body and filled
up the sack where the silk ought to form.
The poor insect attempted to spin, but
there was nothing to spin from, and its
usefulness was ended. Pastcur followed
mp the inquiry by Watching the growth
of the parasite through all its changes
till he found the stages where it could be
destroyed without injury to the insect.
He thus made the foundations of silk
hushandly secure and permanent, and
saved one Of the most valuable indus
tries Of France from utter ruin.