The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-13

hIOuO VN ~
~tnrtaric acid into inactive ~tartaric acid racemio
acid on the one hand, and into n new form OF
Inactive ~tartnric acid (mesotartaric acid on tho
other; his discovery OF tho method OF Spit
ting nm racomic ncid into Its components, doN-
tro and laovo.tnrtaric ncids, by means OF
optically active bases; and his RECITATION OF
Dcssaignes's reputod conversion OF fumaric ana
mnleIc acids into aspartic acid identical with
that hitherto only obtained from nsparagino.
IIe found that an apparently trivial difference
in the arrangement of the atoms In space In the
cnsc Of two ~tartarlc ncids made an ovcrwholm.
ing difference in their physiological character.
This phenomenon. which 10. undoubtedly, ono OF
the most striking in the whole domain OF chcni-
cal science. appears to be n very general ono
In the caae nf bodies admitting Of two or
more different arrangements OF their atoms
in space. Although not further pursued by
its d.scovercr, this physiological diHer-
cnce has been largely utilized by subse-
quent Investigators for the preparation OF
OFFICIALLY active compounds. In 1855 the Brit
ish Royal Society conferred the Rumford modal
upon Pasteur in recognition OF his researches
on the polarization of light with hemihedrism
OF crystals. Such was the work accomplished
by Pasteur, within the short ported Of ten years
in the domain of pure chemistry and molecular
physics. 1t was an achievement on which an
investigator might have looked bnck with pride
at the close OF a lifotime; yet. on its completion,
Pastcur stood but on the threshold OF his career.
~.
A new chapter in Pasteur's life opened with
the year 1854. when. at the age Of 80. ho was
nominated Dean OF tho Faculty Of Sciences.
which had Just been created in the industrial
centre. Lille. As principal of this new insti.
tuition. he was at once brought in touch
with ono OF the leading industries OF the
district, the manufacture Of alcohol. and no
was, consequently. impelled to throw himself
into the study Of fermentation. At this time
fermentation processes were not generally re-
garded as vital phenomena at all. for the domi-
nnnt opinion concerning them was that Of Lie
big, who viewed the classical transformation OF
sugar into alcohol as a purely chemica process,
depending not upon the living yeast cells which
the microscope reveals, but upon the dead yeast
undergoing post-mortcm decomposition. 1t was
Pasteur who proved that alcoholic fermentation
ia an act correlated to the life and to the orRani-
cation Of certain living corpuscles. and not to
their death or to their putrefaction. 1t was
while these fermentation researches wero be-
ing prosecuted that Pasteur was promoted to
the post of director Of scienti1o studies at
the Ecole Normale in Paris. His first achieve
ment in his new position was to close the
breach between chemistry and biology, by
demonstrating the possibility of life without air.
Not long after his establishment at Paris Pas
tour engaged. almost sinRle-handcd. against
some Of tho subtlest intellects Of the day
arrayed on behalf Of the theory that life may
be spontaneously generated. Pasteur main
tanned tho negative. and his conclusions have
been accepted by q whole generation of scion
tifc men, who have Endorsed tho statement
made by him In the following words: mo;
there is to-day no known circumstance which
permits US to affirm that microscopic beings
have como into the world without germs.
without parents like unto themselves.
Those who held that they do have
been tho plaything of Illusions. of expert
ments badly made. tainted with errors which
they have not known how to detect, or which
they have not known how to avoid. Spontane-
GUS generation is q chimera." We pass over.
with but a cursory allusion. Pasteur's studies
on the vinegar organisms which served to con-
nrm his vitalistic theory Of fermentation. which
may be expressed In the words: mo fermenta-
ton without organism; In every fermentation, a
particular organism" The noteworthy results of
his excursion Into practical matters in connec-
ton with the manufacture of vinegar led him to
give similar attention to questions relating to the
production Of wine. His first experiments were
made for the purpose of discovering. II possible,
a substance. which. while inimical to bacterial
life, and, therefore, q cure for the diseases
Of wine. would not, when added to the
wine. impair it's flavor and bouquet. Vari-
GUS antiseptics were tried, but the results were
not encouraging. and Pasteur then determined
to have recourse to heat. He found that Q pro-
cess Of partial sterilization, now generally
known by his name as "Pasteurizntion," could
be employed with the greatest success in con-
lnection with wine. beer. milk. cream. and other
food products of q per!shable nature. For In
stance, wine. II heated for a short time to q
temperature 9f from So to 60 Centigrade, can
be acknowledgements from subsequent doteri-
grafton. while it suffers no alteration in taste or
bouquet. 1t was difficult to convince vino
growers and wine merchants of this truth, but
finally a Jury Of experts, which sat in 1865 at
the Ecole Normale, subjected the theory to the
most searching tests and unanimously agreed
that II any difference did exist between the
heated and the unheated wines In respect of
flavor and bouquet, 1t was so Insignificant as to
be practically impcrceptible.
In 1868 Pastcur had exchanged his Official
appointment of Director of Scientific Studies in
the Ecole Normalo for the professorship of
geology and chemistry at the Ecole des Bcaux
Arts. which post he held up to 1867. 1t was
during the latter part OF his tenure Of this office
that no entered upon his researches into tho
diseases Of the The result of his In
vestigntions was that he presented the silkworm
proprletorS Win an easy metnOu or distinguish
ing healthy from infected eggs. which. while
saving the trouble and expense of roaring sickly
worms. would also materially assist In diminish
Ing the proportions Of the epidemic known as
pebrine. by banishing bad Grdine, or eggs. and
employing only those that should be certified
as free from disease. So signal was the sue
cess of tho remedial methods by
Pasteur that he received in 1868 a prize of IL. 900
francs from tho Austrian Government in recoR-
milton Of his researches on the diseases of silk
worms. and, two years later, the Emperor nomi-
mated him a Senator.
III.
The effect that tho outcome OF the war of
had upon Pasteur may be inferred from the
letter In which he requested the Dean of the
medical faculty at tho University OF Bonn to take
back the diploma Of Doctor OF Medicine which
they had conferred on him in 1868. 1t was with
a patriotic purpose that he now began to investi-
cato the fnrmcntatinna incidantnl tn Tho h.o.-