Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-01-02

French chemist who does not pretend
TO be even physician or surgeon, is en-
gagged in a work which if successful
will rank his name with that of the
great benefactors of mankind. Like
Jenner and Ferran he is applying the
same principle of "iike cure like" and
does not lay claim to an original dis
covery. But in the application Of this
principle he is doing a great work for
science and humanity, and for the skill
and sagacity displayed in this he de-
serves great praise.
Enough has already been proved TO
demonstrate that there is much eff
cheney and power in his methods. He
in~oculates with an attentuated portion
ofthe virus of hydrophobia, persons
who have been bitten by rabid animals.
and in a large number of instances he
has warded off hydrophobia. As in
the case of vaccination of smallpox,
the person inoculated takes the action
agent of the disease into the system,
but in too mild a form to produce in
jury, and yet sufficient to act as q pre-
v~entive against subsequent introduc-
ton of the malady.
M. Pasteur's experiments show that
in tho case of children the virus Of
rabies acts much more rapidly upon
| tho ouutArt fhon IN fhn noon ~ A1Aap
persons. Hence it is necessary that
incubation should take place much
sooner with children than with grown
people. Hydrop obia has often de-
veloped among children who have been
bitten by raoid animals thirty days
afterwards, and Pasteur has found that
incubation later than ten days before
hydrophobia is likely to appear is al
ways attended with risk. He has,
however, i%noculated in some instances
several months after the wound oc-
Cured and prevented hydrophobia.
He is doing great work in Paris,
solely from love of science and human
ity. He makes no charge for his SER
vices, and patients visit him from all
parts of the world.
Great interest is taken in the case of
the four children who were bitten u
few days ago by a mad dog at Newark.
New Jersey, and arc soon to bo put
under his treatment. They are now
ON the Atlantic, and he is quite conf
dent that they will reach him before
hydrophobia sets in, and if they do, he
is equally confident that he can, by in
oculation, ward off the terrible dis
ease. He states that after O case of
thorough incubation the subject could
be bitten by a rabid animal any num-
Der of times during the next year and
be entirely safe from hydrophobia. At
the end of that time it would be pru-
dent, if not absolutely necessary, to
repeat the incubation.
At this stage of the experimentation.
no n seems to be willing to try in
oculation, until brought to it by actual
fear of hydrophobia. Pasteur has Ok
perimented very successfully on lower
animals. and on persons who have
been bitten by rabid animals. To wait
until after being wounded by a rabid
animal before trying the prevention
for rabies, looks very much like lock-
ing the barn door after the horse has
been stolen. But as the success OF in
o~culation becomes thoroughly estab-
lished and generally known, 1t will not
be strange to see people being v~acinat-
ed against hydrophophia as they now
! are ~vacinated against smallpox.
1t is not surprising that P~asteur's
experiments meet with some very
strong opposition. One Paris paper,
the Intransigeant, edited by Henri
Rochefort. has become the organ of
P~asteur's opponents, and it makes a
warm fight against his work. Every
new discovery and every new applica-
ntio OF an old theory, always meets
with more or less ridicule and oppose
ton at the start. Jenner's great work,
after scores OF years of successful DEM
onstration, is still bitterly opposed.
and characterization societies are Or
ganized to fight it. M. Pasteur, how
ever, is not diverted from his mission
by the opposition it has called out.
The result of his work speaks for itself.
In nearly every. instance that he has
undertaken q case where his methods
had a fair chance, he has been success
full. There are sometimes local condi-
tons that interfere and prove an ex-
ception to the rule. But enough has
already been accomplished to show
great merit and power 10 the simple
principle which the great FrenchmaR
has SO successfully applied.