Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-27
PASTEUR AND THE VALUE
OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Economic Importance Of EndOwing
Learned Institutions for Finding Out
the Hidden Secrets of Nature

the Hidden Secrets Of Nature
IN ALL parts of the civilized world
today grateful people are celebrating
the Tooth anniversary of the birth Of
Louis Pasteur, who at the age of thirty
two years was recognized as one of the
leading chemists of France.
The French Ambassador is in this city
participating in the exercises in the
Academy Of Music in honor Of his fellow
countrymar. But Pasteur is not hon
because he was a great man consumed
by desire to seek out the mysteries of
nature for the relief of his fellow men.
He belongs to all nations joined together
by the fellowship of a common mortality
and common interest in everything
that can postpone the inevitable fate.
The story of what he did is common
knowledge. He discovered the causes of
fermentation. He disproved the theory
of spontaneous generation. He learned
the origin Of the diseases of animals and
their cure. He saved the vineyards of
France and he prevented the destruc-
tjor Of its silk industry by applying to
these problems the methods Of investi-
CATION which had led to his other sue
cesSes. And he originated the germ
theory of disease, and, even though he
could not isolate the hydrOphobia germ,
he worked on the assumption that the
disease was caused by a germ and
devised a cure for it.
He did these things because he per-
sistcntly sought for an explanation for
phenomena which other chemists had
noted and passed BY. It was thus that
he learned the secrets which have revo-
lutionized modern medicine and have
destroyed the terrors Of surgery. He
once remarked that in the field Of obser-
vation chance favorS only those who are
prepared. Fortunately for the rest of
Us. he was prepared to understand the
significance Of those things which ne
observed.
The tribute paid 20 him TO-DAY will be
vain thing if It leads to no results.
The significance of the life Of Pasteur
lies IN its revelation of what careful and
persistent and patient research can do.
His first notable discovery was the
reason for the difference between two
tartaric acids deposited By wine lees
which were Of the same composition but
exhibited different properties 1t was
apparently nothing more than an
academic question, with no practical
value But il ed to his discovery Of the
causes Of fermentation and revolution
lied the industries dependent on it, and
Indirectly led to the discovery Of the
germ theory Of disease.
There remain innumerab.c chemical
mysteries rnat Have not yet been
explained. Men of science are now
inouir.ng into them with such facilities
as they have. But IN the United States
especially research i not sufficiently
endowed. 4 college professor with his
mcager salary cannot finance an aGe-
C@a,c investigation, even Z he rad the
time from his classes to conduct it.
And he cannot tell otfhand what the
commercial value of his discoveries
might be. Yet il is Of the first impor-
tance that research work be carried on.
Take, for example, the waste in the
heat and power that lies in anthracite:
The steam locomotive utilizes but small
percentage Of the power concentrated in
the coal that It burns. II the chemists
could discover how to utilize two-thirds
Of t the annual saving would be enor-
nous. We know what chemicals to use
IN spraying fruit trees to kill the insects
that destroy the crops, but no way 70
Kill the boil weevil has yet been dscov-
cred. There is way TO DO it. bat it
vii, not be found without long and per
sistent experimentation.
We have great universities n Penn
Syivania, with men Of science on their
faculties qualified by training to do
many things which they have not time
Or money now 20 do. While we are con
sjdering an educational policy for the
Commonwealth and while plans are maxi
,ng to raise greater cndowments for
education, the importance Of cndowments
for research should not be overlooked.
A single discovery might save to the
ommonwoath in year a sum equal TO
the total educational endowment o. all
the colleges within il boundaries.
Pastcur showed what research could
do, Bat We have not profted as we