Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-03-17

and became a student in the college
of Arbois, where he then lived. He
had an added reason for study now.
He did it to please himself as well as
his father. From Arbois he went to
Paris and there, as a student at Ecole
Normale and the Sorbonne, made his
first entry into the field Of scientific
discovery, where he was to win so
much fame and honor.
Pasteur's main virtues, II any can
be said to outrank in him, were pa
tience and exactness. Contrary to his
boyhood trait, he shirked nothing. If
book on chemistry said a certain
theory was true, Pasteur proved it and
then believed the book. He lombard
ed his professors with questions until
one venerable savant threw up his
hands in despair.
II should be questioning you" he
said.
He Liked Mystery.
The mysteries Of chemistry early
became a source Of never failing
wonder to the young student. To the
unknown, that which all scientists
agreed was a mystery, Pasteur devot-
ed his greatest attention. He worked
increasingly when started on an ex-
pertinent. Once, his biographers say,
he procured some bones from Paris
butcher about 4 o'clock in the morn
ing. Until 9 o'clock that night he la
bored preparing sixty grams of phos-
phorus to use in an experiment Mon
day morning.
Pasteurs first investigative work
was in crystalloraphy. Compared
with his later discoveries it seems
rather puny; but it served as impor-
tant training for Pasteur and added
important knowledge to the worlds
supply.
Some crsdit 10 His Wife.
After his student days, Pasteur went
to the University of Strassburg as an
instructor and later a professor. He
won his appointment as dean Of the
faculty of scierce at Lille in 1854. He
was brought into touch with the man
ufacture Of alcohol from beet root
and grain. He proved that fermenta-
ton was caused by bacteria and made
his first record use Of "pasteurization."
Pasteur now became interested In
bacteriology. He became director OF
scientific studies at Ecole Normale
First he proved that the living forms
that cause fermentation could live
without free oxygen. Next he took UP
the study of putrefaction and startled
the scientific world by proving that II
was caused by living bodies also, and
not air, as was then commonly sup
posed. His arguments and discus
sions on this line were the wonder OF
the scientific world.
The next move by Pasteur was his
famous clash with several other scien-
lists over spontaneous combustion of
life. Pasteur opposed that theory. He
successfully demonstrated the absurd
ity of the theories his opponents ad-
vanced.
Cured France Of Scourse.
Pasteur's first work in diseases was
along somewhat different lines than
his later. He was petitioned by France
to find some way to cure wines and
beers of the many ailments that as
sailed them. Here again his prin-
ciple of "pasteurization" played an
important part. BY discovering the
value and use of pellicle, a film that
covers vinegar during it's formative
period, he lessened the time for max
ing vinegar form wine from two and
a half months to ten days.
Now occurred an important event
in Pasteur's Life. France was suffer-
ing from a silk worm disease that
was causing a serious decrease in the
nations revenues. A commission was
appointed to investigate pebrine, the
disease. 1t found the silk worms of
all France and practically all Europe
affected. The commission recon-
mended that q scientist be employed
to study the disease and decide upon
a treatment.
Pasteur was approached. He de-
INJURED. He was not a lepidopterist,
he said. He knew nothing whatever
Of insects. But the commission plead
ed and he finally accepted Briefly
he succeeded, but only after several
years of the most discouraging and
difficult work. Pebrine was stamped
out and with it fiacherie, another dis
ease Of bees that Pasteur discovered.
Stricken With Paralysis.
In 1868, unfortunately for France
and the world, Pasteur was stricken
with paralysis. But his investigative
mind never stopped work. Perhaps
because of his habit of sitting motion
less for hours in the laboratory, he
was able to think out and dictate,
while paralyzed, a new way to tell IL
the eggs of bees were predisposed to
fiacherie. Luckily Pasteur recovered
from his stroke, but ever afterward
he was forced to allow other hands to
perform the delicate experiments he
planned.
After the Franco German war, Pas
teur suffered deeply with his nation.
He was an ardant patriot. He even re-
turned honors that German universi-
ties had given him. At that England
and Austria and other nations increas-
ed their attentions to him. Lord Lister
the famous English surgeon, headed
a delegation to do honor to Pasteur.
During the course of a dinner Lord
Lister said: Truly there does not
exist in the entire world any indi-
vidual to whom the medical sciences
owe more than they do to you"
At the age Of 55 Pasteur began the
study Of infectious diseases. His first
work was on anthrax, disease of
cattle then prevalent in France. 1t
was causing a. loss of from 15 to 20
million fracs year. Quite acci-
dentally his experiments were sue
cess. While studying anthrax he also