New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-22
TIE PASTErR TESTIMONIAL.


cncos 70 present substantial testimonial TO ".
Pastour on December q, the seventeen anniver-
eary Of his birth, will doubtless be regarded with
approval the world around. Thousands Of sccn-
lists viii be glad 70 SEQ their illustrlous coaborer
thus honored and So WIN millions Of men and
women whose knowledge Of the great Frcnchman's
discoveries consists chiefly in apprccatiyc enjoy
nent Of them. And this sentiment will, we trust,
inspire n widespread, prompt and generous re-
spouse 10 the Acadcny's request for an intcrna-
tional subscription 20 accomplish the proposed
work II the glory Of NJ. Pasteur's achievements
hc claimed by Franco, the benefit Of them belongs
to every civilized land, and II s fitting that some
tangible acknowledgment OF them should be
equally comprehensive
Count 10 man happy until he is dead' is
sound apothegm, and it has now and then been
applied 20 wisdom and 70 greatness well as 10
happiness But there those whose achieve
mcnts are Of such assured merit that we safely
reckon their worth 10 tho world while they vet
live. con hdent that the Judgment Of postcrty VIII
only ircreasc and not dccrcasc, the estimate.
Among such mon is NJ Pas'eur There 4 no r~l;
In saying that Of all scholars OF his generation.
.ew have cqualed him, and very few if any,
have surpassed hiIl in the permanent value Of thcr
researches, both in pure and in applied science.
must ever be regarded as the practical author
and foremost exponent Of the germ theory Of dis
ease KNOWLEDGE u which IS revolu,oniring medical
science and promising moro for the worlds health
than any Other discovery OF the century. That
fact alorc assures him Immortality
The value TO industrial arts Of l9 rcscarchcs
into fermentation is past al reckoning; and IL"
same may be said Of his mastery Of the slkworm
disease and OF splcnic fever. In single year the
loss to France through pebrinc was $50. 10000
and the continuance Of the plague meant the de
-truction Of the silk industry But NJ Pasteur
destroyed tho plague. His treatment for hydro
phoha Is still in the experimental stage and the
nature Of the case makes lis merit difficult 10
establish Yet we believe the best scientific
opinion is that his theory is right, and that his
processes viii ultimately gain the vindicaton OF
entire success Nor Is il cAtravagant to expect
success as well for his attempts similarly ~ deal
with tetaIus epilepsy, cholera and other diseases
nor 10 look for the fuhlmcnt of HIS declaration
that II ~ within tho power OF man to cause all
parasitic maladies TO disappear from the world"
OF equal interest, in another direction. was his
investigation into the origin Of life. H. is not
too much 10 say that he startled and LARGELY an
tagonzcd the scientific world by his emphatic and
total denial Of the theory Of Spontaneous gcncra-
zion. Even his illustrious fricad Dumas sought
10 diesuade him from his course, but in vain
The experiments by which NJ Pastcur demon.
stratcd the fclsty of that theory and proved thai
ifc is generated alone by life, form an unsir-
passed monument Of patience, care and skill. They
well dcscrve the tribute paid by Professor Tyndoll
when he faid that they carried out with a sever
'ty perfectly obvious to the instructed scientific
reader and accompanied by logic equally severe.
restored the conviction that HE does uot appoar
without the operation OF antcccdcnt life The
main position Of Pastcur, though often aesnirl
has never yet been shaken
1t should lie added that VI. Pastour, in spirit and
method, j., almost above all contcmpor. rics. an
ideal scientist No one was ever more free from
seeking either Standardization or sclf-cain. ffc
has not even sought political distinction, as did
Cuvicr and Arago and Dumas lie has not mis-
used his discoveries by striving to array them
against religion; but OH the contrary, has con-
siantY found his faith in God dccpened and
ircngtheucd by his researches in science This
age has reen no better type of God-fearing. man
loving and truth--eol;ing Scnoar and in making
him n rich Offering now, in his declining years and
failing health, the world will do itsef an honor
greater than any i; can bcsiOw upon him.