Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-01-21
The Story of Pasteur .


The year 1886 will be distinguished il
the march of The ages with especial prom
inence, because it gave birth to the won
derful discovery of Pasteur, which the
unselfishness OF true scientist has giyer
freely to augment the sum of human
knowledge, and lessen the sum of human
misery.
In the fact that corporation has lust
| been formed in New York to establish an
institute and hospital for the Pasteurian
treatment of hydrophobia the story Of
the great discoverer, as told by himself,
is invested with profounder interest. In
October last he modestly related to the
French Academy how it all came about.
as the result of long and laborious inves.
tlgation. He first treated twenty dogs.
liking finally on fifteen that had been
made proof against rabies. He then re-
sorted to more virulent incubation, keep
Ing the dogs under observation beyond
the period of incubation of the disease
three or four months. To accommodate
the application of the method of contin-
gencies growing out of the accidental or
sudden character of the bites of rabid
animals, he had to adopt more rapid
methods-that is, he resolved to reduce
the system to its briefest possible period
of operation.
By the trepanning under the dura mater
OF a rabbit, with the marrow of rabid
dog, he produced rabies in mean of fff-
teen days. By passing the virus to
second, a third and fourth rabbit, and SO
on, the period of the incubation of the
disease was lessened. Twenty-Five di-
munitions brought it down to period of
seven days. He spent no less than three
years in reaching this point. He proved
that by passing the virus on from one
rabbit to another, one can have reliable
virus at ones disposition constantly. In
dry air it slowly loses its power; in moist
carbonic acid, and protected from the air,
it will last some months He next pro-
ceeded to insure dog by successive daily
with sterilized broth of in
creasing strength in which he had soaked
pieces of infected marrow secured in a
flask, the air being kept dry by potash in
the bottom. He continued the applica-
tons until only two days old. Out of
fifty dogs treated last spring there was
not one failure.
In the self-assurance that he had found |
a practical method to success with brutes, |
he was led to trust himself in applying |
the same to man. We can readily |
imagine the emotions that must have |
stirred his soul when he resolved upon
these experiments. Selfishness and |
cowardice would have stayed him, but
devotion to the cause of humanity spurred
him on, and thus it was again testified
hat there is heroism in the walks of
science rising to the level of the bravest
achievements in the field
In July boy was brought for treat
nent. An autopsy demonstrated that
he dog that had bitten him was mad.
The lad was so badly wounded that the
medical faculty decided death from hy-
irophobia would certainly ensue The
boy was bitten July 4th; on the 9th, Pas
eur, with Drs. Vulpian and Grancher,
n oculated the patient with virus four
cen days old. Each day once, some days
vice, the boy was treated for ten days
With diminishing virus, until the 10Th he
eceived the most virulent matter-only
me day old. 1t was found by expert
nents on rabbits, that the virus used the
irst five days was not virulent. The boy
escaped rabies and his health remains
EXCELLENT. October 18th Jean Baptiste
-upille, shepherd boy, threw himself
,efore mad dog to protect group of
tx children. He throttled the animal
nd beat him to death with the heel of
lis shoe. He was fearfully wounded.
october Goth he was brought to Pasteur,
Tho treated him. He recovered, as did
our others treated subsequently, The
physicians decided that the virus in Jul
lilies wounds had not on the sixth day
eft the locality and assembled toward the
rain.
Pasteur's explanation of the philosophy
his great discovery is. that the virus
cts slowly; that incubation makes the
ody refractory to it, and thus the poison
the wound remains localized and after
ONE months is digested and thrown off
ecause it is prevented from reaching the
rain. The preventative quality OF the
loculation exists for a year and half,
nd as the minimum of total incubation .
18th the virus from the wound is thirty
avs, the whole question, explains Pas
,ur to reporter of the London Times,
insists in inoculating the patient soon
nough to prevent the propagation Of the :
irus through the wound from spreading.
Well might M. Vulpian exclaim be-
IRE the Academy with proud enthusiasm,
nat Pasteur's discovery ''afixes the seal
, the glory of our illustrious associate,
ne sheds an incompatible luster upon
ur dear country. "-Sacreme nto Record
nion.
A writer in the New York Journal of
Commerce says: "The present year will