The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-12-06

ON December 10, 1880, DR.. Lannelongue drew the
attention Of Pasteur to child OF Ave years oil age
diving of hydrophobia in the Hospce 1rosseau
Paseur seized the opportunity to inOcuate two rab-
bits with mucus taken from the palate four hours
after its DEATH The rabbits died in thrty-slx hours
More rabbits were inoculated from those, and they
died also Pasteur found in the blood of these rab-
bits special microbe organism which he was able
THESE infusions continued to be of deadly vruence
when cultivated rapidly one after the other DR..
Thuilier made as many as egn.y nni
walton Killed as promptly as the first But when me
successive CIVILIZATIONS were allowed to remain lor
some time in contact with air before passing from
one culture 10 the next an attenuated virus was OBJ
tanned which made rabbits Ill when introduced into
their blood without causing death, and which made
them proof against the deadly influence of fresh ny
drophobia virus. Pasteur next proceeded TO Apply
the virus or hydrophobia direct 10 the brain SUD-
stance of dogs, and he found that the virus, when
introduced in this way, was more rapidly destruc-
tive He inferred from these experiments
s Hrse microbe OF nydrophobia, and that its
proper cultivation ed Is the substance OF the brain,
the spinal ana the ax II aecsd oa a
by the nerves that enter the savary glands, and no
is at the present time awaiting himself OF every
possible opportunity to cultivate an ACQUAINTANCE
with mad dogs in the hope that he will yet ind It
possible to ..cultivate " a softened contagion OF
of rabies which will serve as protective vaccine 1or
the prevention of death from the disease. NJ. Roux,
Pasteur's laboratory assistant, has given cautious
and no doubt perfectly reliable summary OF a ane
OF his work in the following passage taken from one
of the last pages of NJ. valery Radots {" History"
He says: "If we examine with care little OF the
pulp taken freshly from the brain of rabid animal
and compare it with the same substance from inc
brain of healthy animal, 1t Is difficult TO distinguish
any difference between the two. In the rabic pulp
however, besides the granulaions which are found
profuson in the healthy pulp there seem 10 exist
title grains of extreme minuteness, almost lmper-
ceptble even with the strongest microscopes In
the cephalo-rachidic liquid so mpld IN appearance
it is possible with great attention to detect similar
little grains. Can this be the mIcrobe OF hydropho-
bia? Some do not hesitate 10 afiirm that II Is FOR
ourselves, as long the cultivation OF the mlcrobe
outside the organism has not been enected, ana
hydrophObia has not been communicated by means
Of artificial cultures, we shall abstain from eSpiess
ing definite opinion on the subject" Whatever
may be the case In reference TO the BRAN OF tne
rabid dog there certainly can be no doubt that NJ
pasteur has at any rae as @ hs
great mental CHARACTERISTIC OF Pastenr when ne
speaks in admlrng words OF his work having ald SO
essentially in the direction OF the verlhcation OF
ideas-Wof Intending the mind" upon the facts
looked for and he Is not less correct IN nls remark
that Pasteur has marvellous and exceedingly rare
skill OF dis,ng the essences OF acquired iae,s aiu
the as yet unOccupied fields OF very dlfncult de-
partment of human research. Whatever may be
thought OF the great laslenIian dogma , OF tne
OF contagious disease 1t Is simply Impossible 1or any
reasonable mind to do otherwise Than DOW before
the Irresistible strength OF the experiment at Melun
The holocaust of the twenty-five sheep by the side
of the twenty-five protected ones, al the farm OF
Pouiy Fort piece OF scientific forecast, can
only be ranged by the side OF such events az Inc
rer and Adams. Pasteur, in almost prophetic tones,
said to the assembled witnesses at Melun, 81 viii
Kill TWENTY-FIVE sheep and / Will preserve twenty
i've BY the selfsame stroke:" and IN nifty hours the
work was done. In the propnets own WORDS, Tue
twenty-five unvaccinated died In the grasp OF the
deadly charbon." There IL no contending against
the force OF such evidence as that man williul
and strong In the resources OF his art must be al
lowed, SO far at least, TO have his way