Savannah morning news., 1885-11-12
LOUIS PASTEUR.
ofthe Great Deeds He Has Done to
Aid Humanity.

L f 81
!, ~ rhe Frenoh Academy. Upon Err
.psnau devolyed the task OF deliver
ancs H. address OF welcome. 'You are,
este ,,,a present time, sir,'' said he, direct
our studies upon hydrophobia; you
.,. fsssrcAlng for the microscopic germ
o. -, causes it. You will find it. Hu-
isiaS a,ttv win owe to you ths suppression
Mos .1 ferribe disease, and also OF that mis-
r. which is always present in some
.a,a t0 the mind when we permit the
sssses OF the animal that is mans CRATE
tan, MrIonG familiar friend"
''a' rbo most important telegraphic news
N ft5s week. taking higher rank even tnan
hs 4nreatenings of war in Europe, is
stTouis Pasteur has discovered, not
G .ioroscopic germ, but a cure for hy-
'"H -orh0bia Even when given such prom
St.n. 90 this, the news when massed in
Sf9 ho coinmns of the daily newspaper has
HHsS +te General reader less of significance
ETS on II deserves; indeed it may be said
oms r7,1estoue,. that with the exception of
LIS nedic8l and scientific men, the assertion
lNG l1 rass unnoticed by one half and scOff-
UN sf' III fAe other half Of the reading pub
So light thing is fame. and so one
. ,Ied are the general ideas OF education
F tst many weli-infOrmed man, who has
III go and national politics the stock mar
cr and the racing news at his tongues
- and reasons glibly and understand
u II -. Indy uDon me cuCct Oh 4 European war
rner n1n the wheat market knows Ouiy OF
pastetr that he is one Of those people
Of yho are always tbeorizng and expert
TAT .nartiug with no result worth remember
Nv M. A better knowledge Of the man,
Fb ritb gratitude for MS work, would be
nc more becoming generation TO whom he
has rendered 50 many lnestmabie ser
n ,Icps-serYices alike TO the prosperity and
!. bealth OF the race.
=. TIE popular idea ofthe scientist is that
lRdN he is in general parlauce, ''crank,"
given up to theories whose practice the
world Is well enough without. Pasteur's
/, lite and labtrs amply disprOve the idea.
o Devoted, ndeed, TO the science of chemis-
Va trv so far possessed with the idea that
bs to the man WAC patiently follows the path
lei from which he deyiated all mysteries of
creation will C0en, that his constant re-
SSs - gret IS that circumstances turned him
III To other fields o. research, his life has been
tnS M spent in the elde8VOr to assuage the
ER MI evils that came t. hand No better eXem-
pilcation could We had of the truth OF the
nj pr0yerb, that when there Is work to do
rA God finds hand u do it. With Pasteur's
early work in the ield OF molecular phys
les, resulting in the discovery Of molecu-
M lar dissymmetry and in his firm belief
bat the existing barrier between the min
eral and organic Kingdoms will be over
brown by some eXPerimenter more for
eH III iuuate than himself who shall produce
T.
general reader can have but little inter
est; bat in everything that he has done
SINCE prompted by the results of an eX-
TN 81 pertinent, he bent his powers Of intelli-
| gent observation upon the phenomena Of
M fermentation, every man, woman and
u child may be said to have, If they do not
,. ,g, eel, personal interest. A fair illustra-
,@ tiOn of the ms significance attached to com
On. mon things. and Of the incorrect ideas
ali. which are allowed to invest them, is the
d theory held, eren as late as that time
l, lo34), regarding the causes Of fermenta-
H. uon of ditleren. substances and liquids is
ni well known. according TO most authori-
Ne ties, among wh)m Liebeg was, perhaps,
Tie the most eminent ferments were nitro
ah genOus subs anceS. One or two later eX-
~ perimenters had differed from this view,
but until Pasteu-, none recognized fer
gs. ment as living body, and consequently
rs subject to certain laws, which, when
lhs once known and followed, converted the
a. ierment into useful instrument or dis
~ armed IL OF its nCXiOus powers. To the
n1 manufacture and maladies OF the wines
sii Of France, Pasteur contributed not theO-
na nes alone, but positive knowledge,
her which, at trltiing cost. abolished the
NJ causes Of wine diseases, which were
rayaging the famous manufactures of
France.
Not vet. however, could he return to his
beloved chemistry; anew evil presented
i Itself. The diseases o. the silk worm were
rulning the silk industry Of France For
years, during which time these diseases
rs. spread, not only through France, but to
lla ar East, Pasteur labOred to establish
tle truth or his theort that the disease ex-
isted IN the moth andwas q definite or
sanlsm, directly communicable from one
L. worm TO another, and that exemption
ri rom injection was aBure and simple pre-
'ehlauye ior the nalades that had
wrought financial ruin In 80 many COM
Il IL Fnrp ~ ba.u od
as certain II propar regard was given TO
II cleanliness, temperature, TODD and the de-
D etInctlon Of all unhealthy worms.
Inc inevitable peralty man must pay
0i excessive work vas, at the end Of his
aD0rs IN this direction, eXacted from NJ
d aateur AT only 45 he was stricken with
l. paralysis that threatened suspension
y tueliie-work that had already been be-
II sHcence TO his cOuutrymen. When health
etUfueQ more work lay ready for his
= uaHu. The preservation Of beer in bottles
J., " 10 casks was the problem next set Pas
g eur TO solve, and the method, if not tho
pahl Is known wherever beer is drank.
. chafacterize the advance or Pasteur
rom molecular physics TO terments, thence
9HA worm diseases, and next to the dis
j ases Oh animals and man, as being from
p 10 step, does not convey a correct
gsa Oh his progression. IL is rather that
spiral curve, each revolution extend
lng his range.
me next subject brought to his notice
"@S mat OF splenic fever, disease fatal
LOCKS and herds, communicable from
'u.iHals OF one species OF those Of another,
gen 10 man. On the continent the germ
81! OF disease was gaining ground.
estur, mot being physician, hesitated
some time to encrOach upon what
usAt DeconsidOreda physicians domain;
W. genus Is universal, and genius Pas
81. nae. In Germany Koch had shown
@t "Alle certain smaller animals infal-
F We're killed by the parasite OF splen-
ever BIRDS defed it. The suggestion
ls Presented 10 Pasteur was too entic-
70 ps overlooked. His reaeon once
,i.sird As % the cause or this immunity
0Hos, That 10 existed IN the tact OF the
sntt temperature OF the blood Of fowls
.Alng but experimental proof could sat
MN. This be was speedily able 20
s.Nlhi and the parasitic origin Of fowl
r,'ett WAS established.
a experiments 10 this direction no
y. oDla.nea what is known In scientific
Ds as "attenuated virus" Jenner's
livery o! the prevention of smallpox
w introduction of vaccine into the