SAVED TENS OF THOUSANDS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17469, 1 June 1922, Page 10

SAVED TENS OF THOUSANDS.

PASTEUR AND HIS WORK. In the annala of nineteenth-century science few names hold so high a position as that of Pasteur, whose discoveries may be said to form the basis of modern aseptic surgery and bio-chem ifitry. He conquered anthrax wwi rabies, two of the most terrible dl» eases known to man, and thus laid the. foundation of prevontivo medicine, While in his private lite he won the deep affection of all with whom he was associated. The Btory of his career and of his epoch-making discoveries is admirably and Bympatnetically told without übo of technicalities by M. L. Den ccur in "Pasteur and his Work," which has been well translated from tho French by Messrs A. i\ and B. H. Wedd.

His rise was meteoric. As a young man of 2(3, ho made discoveries in crystallography which revolutionised previous ideas; and at 27 he was appointed prolesssor qf chemistry at Stra.sburg University, Moat of his discoveries were duly ridiculed when they were made, out his reputation grew steadily till hie fame in Europe was immense. Hu countrymen asked him—a simple chemist—to deal with diseases in silkworms, wines, chickens, and eheep, and lie was never at a loss. Ivor did he ever think of himself: When Napoleon 111. naked him why lie reaped no benefit from discoveries which were enriching the world, Pasteur replied: "In France scientists would think themselves dishonoured by acting in such a way." The crowning triumph was perhaps hi& victory over rabies, which he traced to a bacillus. He found how to attenuate and strengthen its virulence; lie inoculated animals with a serum prepared from it. and protected them against it. Though he had an intense horror of vivisection, he assisted at a simple operation, euch aa an inoculation under the skin without much distress, but, even then, if the animal made a little sound, Pasteur was filled with pity and lavished upon the victim words of comfort and encouiagement which would have been ludicrous if they had not been touching. The hour came when ne was entreated to use his skill on man, or rather on a child. In July, 1885, a boy of !), who had been cruelly bitten by a mad dog, was brought to him. The boy's death was certain, inevitable, if he did not act. With agony and fear at heart he began-the inoculations; on tea aucoessive days they were administered in constantly growing strength, and the child lived. The crucial experiment had been made. Sis months later he had inoculated 305 persons with only a single death, that of a flirl who came to him 37 davs after being deeply bitten in the heaa. This case ho regarded as hopeless from the first and only undertook it because of her parents' distress. Pasteur's fame has increased since his death. His methods have stood every test and have saved tens of thousands from the most cruel >f deaths and rendered every kind of surgical operation possible.