The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-05-02
New Publications.


French by Lady Claud Hamilton. New
York: D. Appleton & Co. Portland: Hoyt,
Fogg & Donham). Ultimately connected
with the life of NJ. Pasteur and a constant
inmate of his laboratory, the author of this
book has passed years near this great inves.
tigator, who has discovered new world, the
world Of the infinitely little. Since the first
stndies of M. Pasteur or molecular dissym-
metry, down to his most recent inyestiga-
tons on hydrophobia, on virulent diseases,
and on the artificial cultures of living conta-
gia, which have been converted by such cul
lures into veritable Vaccinas--p passing by the
intermediate celebrated experiments on
spontaneous generation, fermentation, the
diseases of wine, the manufacture Of beer
and vinegar, and the diseases OF silkworms
the author has carefully followed this IN
interrupted series of scientific conquests.
This book-the filial tribute of devoted
and admiring son in-law-is the record of a
life of extraordinary scientific ardor and scc-
cess. One hardly knows which to admire
most-the intuitive vision which discerns in
advance the new issues to which existing
data point, or the skill in device, the adapta-
ton of means to ends, whereby the intuition
Is brought to the test and ordeal of expert
ment.
The conclusions of M. Pasteur, which M.
Radot justly describes as 'fworthy of the
most serious consideration" are sure TO ar
rest the attention Of large class of people,
who, dreading ''materlalism," are ready to
tiates the living world from the dead. NJ.
Pasieur considers that bis researches point
to an irrefragable physical barrier between
organic and inorganic nature. Never, he
says, have you been able to produce in the
laboratory, by the ordinary processes of
chemistry, a dissymmetric molecule-in 9TH
or words, substance which, in state of
solution, where molecular forces are para
mount, has the power of causing polarized
beam to rotate. This power belongs exclu-
sively to derivatives from the living world.
Dissymmetric forces, different from those Of
the laboratory, are, in Pasteur's mind, the
agents of vitality; it is they that build up
dissymmetric molecules which battle the
chemist when he attempts to reproduce
them. Such molecules trace their ancestry
to life alone. "Poarrdit on indiquer urae
separation plus profonde entire les produits
de la nature Uieante, ct ceu1 de la nature
minerale, que cette dissynmetrie chez les
unes, ct son absence chez les autresp'
The phenomena of fermentation and pu-
trefaction also occupied Pasteur's attention,
leading to many practical and most useful
results. The manufacture and maladies of
wine were investigated in their turn. He
had. in fact, got the key to this whole series
of problems, and he knew how to use it.
Each of the disorders of wine was traced to
its specific organism, which, acting as fer
ment, produced substances the reverse of
agreeable TO the palate. BY the simplest Of
devices Pasteur abolished the causes of wine
disease. The inv estig alton of the diseases
of silkworms was taken up at time when
the silk husbandry of France was in state
OF ruin, and prosecuted with success. The
studies on wine prepare us for the "Studes
on Beer" which followed the investigation
of silkworm diseases. The sourness, putrid-
ity aud other malades of beer Pasteur traced
to special "ferments of disease" of totally
different form, and therefore easily distin-
guished from the true torulG or yeast
plant. Many mysteries of breweries were
cleared up by this inquiry. Without know
ing the cause, the brewer not infrequently
Incurred heavy losses through the use of
bad yeast. Five minutes examination with
the microscope would have revealed to him
the cause of the badness, and prevented his
using the yeast.
M. Pasteur is now exactly sixty-two years
of age, but his energy is undated. At the
end of this volume, we are informed, that be
has already taken up and examined with
success SO far as his experiments have
reached, The terrible and mysterious disease
of rabies, or hydrophobia. Those who hold
all communicable diseases 10 be of parasitic
origin include, of course, rabies among the
number of those produced and propagated
by living contagion. From his first con-
tact with the disease Pasteur showed his ac-
customed penetration. If we gee man
mad we at once refer his madness to the
state of his brain. 1t is somewhat singular
that in the face of this fact the virus of a
mad dog should be referred to the animals
saliva. The saliva is, no doubt, infected,
but Pasteur soon proved the real seat and
empire of the disorder to be the nervous
system.
Results such as those recorded in this
book are calculated not only to arouse pub
lie inter st, but public hope and wonder.
Never before did day like the present
dawn upon the science and art of medicine.
Previous TO the discoveries of recent times,
medicine was not, indeed, science, but
collection of empirical rules dependent for
their Interpretation and application upon
the sagacity of the physician.
A great scientific theory has never been
accepted without opposition. The theory
of gravitation, the theory of undulatiop, the
theory of evolution, the dynamical theory of
heat-all had to push their way through
conflict to victory. And SO it has been with
the germ theory of communicable diseases.
Some outlying members of the medical pro-
fession dispute it still. Such mast always
be the course of things, as long as men are
endowed with different degrees of insight.
Where the mind of genius discerns the
trnth which it pursues, the mind not SO
gifted often discovers nothing.
The Nature and Reality of Religion. By
Herbert Spencer. New York; D. Appleton
&C.,, Portland: Hoyt, Fogg & Donham)
la the beginning of last year, Mr.. Herbert
Spencer published an article unde- the title
of Religion: A Retrospect and Prospects,"
which was chapter from that division of
bis principles of Sociology which treats of
the evolution Of Ecclesiastical Institutions"
In that article he reviewed in narrow COM
pass and condensed statement the past ten
denotes of religious ideas, and aimed to de-