Savannah morning news., 1885-11-12

and eXemplitcation Of scientific theory
was not without its result for by the end
OF the year 1881, 81, 600 animals in France
had been vaccinated, proceeding 50 pro-
inc OF good that the number rose IN 1883
70 nearly 100000, and breeders of cattle in
Europe nave not yet forgotten the name
OF the man who saved their industry to
them and 10 their nation.
Bnt he who putteth his hand TO the
ploW must not look back. There are still
terrible diseases battling the skill, the eK-
periehce, the Imagination even, of man.
vi these, rabies seemed most to care for
tne experienced hand Of the trained SCI
eIIluc observer, and to this Pasteur turn
Gu MS attention, pursuing the same, eX-
act methods, the same caution, in testing
every point and establishing his steps. He
tfied many thousands of experiments up
oh animals to ascertain In what species
tue poison developed most readily and in
Wnat II was diminished IN yirulence Thus
ne round that by incubation from rabbit
10 rabbit the Viruleuce was increased. On
the contrary, in passing from the dog to
the monkey and from monkey to monkey
IL rs decreased, and If a dog is then inocu-
lated with this "attenuated" virus thus
produced, the disease is much milder
lie was able thus to procure virus
winch would occasion such mild form
OF the disorder in dog that the animal
was not seriously i'll and yet was ever
after protected from the poison, whether
Oy bite, by incubation or any other
method. The experiments of Pasteur were
considered OF such Importance that the
French government appointed a commits.
SION TO examine the subject. In itsreport
Uhe committee sustained Pasteur. but
confessed itself not yet satisfied that hui
man beings could De protected in this
manner. In "A communication to the Ii-
ternational Medical Congress-, In lS4f.
fasteur. who was, perhaDs, the most
celebrated OF all the scientists there as
aembled, declared that he was ready to
demonstrate the possibility Of protesting
human beings by inOculatiOn after
this method, and that he would do
so, should he find any wA0 were
willing TO place themselves under his
care.
fortunately for mankind, cases of this
KIND are comparatively rare, and yet it
appears that his aid has at last been
sought, two boys having been treated in
the method proposed. with the exact re-
suit predicted by PasteUr. When il Is
considered that in one case the boy had
been bitten fourteen times By dog un-
doubtedly suffering from rabies, that
sixty hours had elapsed before he reached
FarIs, and tnat at the end OF 100 days he
was alive and well. there seems ample
reason for the ovation given NJ Pasteur
by the Academy and the public. The
other case, though not OF so long standing,
promises equally good results. Hydro
phobia is so rare, all things considered,
that the possibility Of It's cure may seem a
matter OF limited importance, but no con-
sideration OF this sort can lessen the debt
OF gratitude humanity owes the patient
experimenter. No praise is too high no
name too noble to bestow upon this won
deriul man. All charlatansm and self
seeking must show forth in their own
colOrs beside the single-mindednes and
devotion he has shown in his search for
truth amid the clouds Of mlsappre-
hension and misconceptiOn with which
IL is surrounded. He is not yet an old
man. Scholars live long. From his
vantage ground of sixty-three years he
may look to possible future with hopes
as nigh as when, a younger man, he saw
wonderful discoveries lying in wait for
the cunning hand on the keen,
patient gaze of the eXperimenter.
He may yet shatter the barriers he sees
between the mineral and organic king
doms, or, better still, perhaps, raise new
barriers between mankind and his de-
strCyers.