The Life of Pasteur

CHAPTER I. 1822--1843

1822--1843

Origin of the Pasteur Family, 1--Jean Joseph Pasteur, a Conscript in 1811; Sergeant-major in the 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3; a Knight of the Legion of Honour, 4; his Marriage, 5; the Tannery at Dôle, 6--Birth of Louis Pasteur, his Childhood and Youth, 6. Studies in Arbois College, 7. Departure for Paris, 11. Arrival in Paris, 11; the Barbet Boarding School, Home Sickness, 11. Return to Jura, Pasteur a Portrait Painter, 12; enters Besançon Royal College, 13; a Bachelier ès Lettres, a Preparation Master, 14; his Readings, 15. Friendship with Chappuis, 18; a Bachelier ès Sciences, 20; Pasteur admitted to the Ecole Normale, 22; Sorbonne Lectures, Impression produced by J. B. Dumas, 21.

CHAPTER II. 1844--1849

1844--1849

First Crystallographic Researches, 26; Pasteur a Curator in Balard’s Laboratory, works with Auguste Laurent, 32. Chemistry and Physics Theses, 34. Pasteur reads a Paper at the Académie des Sciences, 36. February days, 1848, 37. Molecular Dissymmetry, 38; J. J. Biot’s Emotion at Pasteur’s first Discovery, 41. Pasteur Professor of Physics at Dijon, 43. Professor of Chemistry at the Strasburg Faculty, his Friend Bertin, 45; M. Laurent, Rector of the Strasburg Academy, 47; Pasteur’s Marriage, 51.

CHAPTER III. 1850--1854

1850--1854

Disgrace of the Strasburg Rector, 54. Letter from Biot to Pasteur’s Father, 57. Letter from J. B. Dumas, 60. Interview with Mitscherlich, 61. Pasteur in quest of Racemic Acid, in Germany, Austria and Bohemia, 62. Pasteur a Knight of the Legion of Honour, 70. Biot’s Congratulations, 70. Proposed Work, 72.

CHAPTER IV. 1855--1859

1855--1859

Pasteur Dean of the new Lille Faculty, 75; his Teaching, 77; First Studies on Fermentations, 79. First Candidature for the Academy of Sciences, 81. Lactic Fermentation, 83. Pasteur Administrator of the Ecole Normale, 84. Alcoholic Fermentation, 85. Death of Pasteur’s eldest Daughter, 86.

CHAPTER V. 1860--1864

1860--1864

So-called spontaneous Generation, 88. Polemics and Experiments, 92. Renewed Candidature for the Académie des Sciences, 100. Lectures on Crystallography, 102. Pasteur elected a Member of the Académie des Sciences, 103. Conversation with Napoleon III, 104. Lecture at the Sorbonne on so-called spontaneous Generation, 106. Pasteur and the Students of the Ecole Normale, 109. Discussions raised by the question of spontaneous Generation, 111. Studies on Wine, 113.

CHAPTER VI. 1865--1870

1865--1870

The Silkworm Disease; Pasteur sent to Alais, 115. Death of Jean Joseph Pasteur, 118. Return to Paris, 121; Pasteur’s Article on J. B. Dumas’ Edition of Lavoisier’s Works, 122. Death of his Daughter Camille, 123. Candidature of Ch. Robin for the Académie des Sciences, 124. Letters exchanged between Ste. Beuve and Pasteur, 124. The Cholera, 126. Pasteur at Compiègne Palace, 127. Return to the Gard, 130; Pasteur’s Collaborators, 130. Death of his Daughter Cécile, 131. Letter to Duruy, 131. Publication of the Studies on Wine, 133. Pasteur’s Article on Claude Bernard’s Work, 134. Pasteur’s Work in the South of France, 138. Letter from Duruy, 139. Pasteur a Laureate of the Exhibition, 140; solemn Distribution of Rewards, 141. Ste. Beuve at the Senate, 142. Disturbance at the Ecole Normale, 143. Pasteur’s Letter to Napoleon III, 147. Lecture on the Manufacture of Vinegar at Orleans, 148. Council of Scientists at the Tuileries, 154. Studies on Silkworm Diseases (continued), 155. Heating of Wines, 157. Paralytic Stroke, 160; Illness, 161; private Reading, 163. Enlargement of the Laboratory, 164. Pasteur in the South, 166. Success of his Method of opposing Silkworm Diseases, 168. Pasteur at Villa Vicentina, Austria, 173. Interview with Liebig, 176.

CHAPTER VII. 1870--1872

1870--1872

Pasteur in Strasburg, 177; the War, 179; Pasteur at Arbois, 180. The Académie des Sciences during the Siege of Paris, 186. Pasteur returns his Doctor’s Diploma to the Bonn Faculty of Medicine, 189. Retreat of Bourbaki’s Army Corps, 192; Pasteur at Pontarlier, 192. Pasteur at Lyons, 194. “Why France found no superior Men in the Hours of Peril,” 194. Proposed Studies, 198. Professorship offered to Pasteur at Pisa, 200; his Refusal, 200. The Prussians at Arbois, 201. Pasteur and his Pupil Raulin, 203. Pasteur at Clermont Ferrand; stays with his Pupil M. Duclaux, 206. Studies on Beer, 207. Visit to London Breweries, 210. Renewed Discussions at the Académie des Sciences, 216.

CHAPTER VIII. 1873--1877

1873--1877

Pasteur elected to the Académie de Médecine, 225. General Condition of Medicine, 226. Surgery before Pasteur, 234. Influence of his Work, 236. Letter from Lister, 238. Debates at the Académie de Médecine, 240; Science and Religion, 244. National Testimonial, 245. Pasteur a Candidate for the Senate, 248. Speech at the Milan Congress of Sericiculture, 251. Letter from Tyndall, 252. Discussion with Dr. Bastian, 253.

CHAPTER IX. 1877--1879

1877--1879

Charbon, or Splenic Fever, 257; Pasteur studies it, 259. Traditional Medicine and Pastorian Doctrines, 263. Progress of Surgery, 266. The word Microbe invented, 266; renewed Attacks against Pasteur, 267. Charbon given to Hens--experiment before the Académie de Médecine, 268. Pasteur’s Note on the Germ Theory, 271. Campaign of Researches on Charbon, 275. Critical Examination of a posthumous Note by Claude Bernard, 281. Pasteur in the Hospitals, 289; Puerperal Fever, 289.

CHAPTER X. 1880--1882

1880--1882

Chicken Cholera, 297. Attenuation of the Virus, 299. Suggested Researches on the bubonic Plague, 301. The Share of Earthworms in the Development of Charbon, 304; an Incident at the Académie de Médecine, 309. The Vaccine of Charbon, 311; public Experiment at Pouilly le Fort on the Vaccination of Splenic Fever, 316. First Experiments on Hydrophobia, 318. Death of Sainte-Claire Deville, 326; Pasteur’s Speech, 327. Pasteur at the London Medical Congress, 329; Virchow and Anti-vivisection, 332. Yellow Fever, 338; Pasteur at Pauillac, 338.

CHAPTER XI. 1882--1884

1882--1884

Pasteur elected a Member of the Académie Française, 341; his Opinions on Positivism, 342; J. B. Dumas and Nisard, his Sponsors, 344; Pasteur welcomed by Renan into the Académie Française, 346. Homage from Melun, from Aubenas, 350; Pasteur at Nîmes and at Montpellier, 353. Speech of J. B. Dumas, 354; Pasteur’s Answer, 355. Pasteur at the Geneva Conference of Hygiene, 358. Studies on the Rouget of Pigs--Journey to Bollène, 360. Typhoid Fever and the Champions of old Medical Methods, 364. Pasteur and the Turin Veterinary School, 368. Marks of Gratitude from Agriculturists, 372; Pasteur at Aurillac, 373. Another Testimonial of national Gratitude, 374; a commemorative Plate on the House where Pasteur was born, 376; his Speech at the Ceremony, 377. Cholera, 378; French Mission to Alexandria, 379. Death of Thuillier, 380. J. B. Dumas’ last Letter to Pasteur, 383. Third Centenary of the University of Edinburgh--the French Delegation, 384; Ovation to Pasteur, 386; Pasteur’s Speech, 386.

CHAPTER XII. 1884--1885

1884--1885

The Hydrophobia Problem, 390; preventive Inoculations on Dogs, 395. Experiments on Hydrophobia verified by a Commission, 396. The Copenhagen Medical Congress, Pasteur in Denmark, 399. Installation at Villeneuve l’Etang of a Branch Establishment of Pasteur’s Laboratory, 406. Former Remedies against Hydrophobia, 407. Kennels at Villeneuve l’Etang, 410.

CHAPTER XIII. 1885--1888

1885--1888

First Antirabic Inoculation on Man, 414; the little Alsatian Boy, Joseph Meister, 415. Pasteur at Arbois; his Speech for the Welcome of Joseph Bertrand, succeeding J. B. Dumas at the Académie Française, 418. Perraud the Sculptor, 421. Inoculation of the Shepherd Jupille, 422; the Discovery of the Preventive Treatment of Rabies announced to the Académie des Sciences and the Académie de Médecine, 422. Death of Louise Pelletier, 426; Pasteur’s Solicitude for inoculated Patients, 427. Foundation of the Pasteur Institute, 428; the Russians from Smolensk, 429; English Commission for the Verification of the Inoculations against Hydrophobia, 430. Fête at the Trocadéro, 431. Temporary Buildings in the Rue Vauquelin for the Treatment of Hydrophobia, 432. Ill-health of Pasteur, 433; his Stay at Bordighera, 434. Foundation of the Annals of the Pasteur Institute, 434. Discussions on Rabies at the Académie de Médecine, 434. Earthquake at Bordighera, 436. Pasteur returns to France, 437. Report of the English Commission on the Treatment of Rabies, 437. Pasteur elected Permanent Secretary of the Académie des Sciences, 439; his Resignation, 439. Inauguration of the Pasteur Institute, 440.

CHAPTER XIV. 1889--1895

1889--1895

Influence of Pasteur’s Labours, 445; his Jubilee, 447; Speech, 450. Pasteur’s Name given to a District in Canada and to a Village in Algeria, 451. Diphtheria, M. Roux’ Studies in Serotherapy, 453; Pasteur at Lille; Lecture by M. Roux on Serotherapy, 456; repeated at the Buda-Pesth Congress, 456. Subscription for the Organization of the Antidiphtheritic Treatment, 456. Pasteur’s Disciples, 457. Pasteur’s Illness, 458; Visit from Alexandre Dumas, 460; Visit from former Ecole Normale Students, 460. Pasteur refuses a German Decoration, 461. Conversations with Chappuis, 462. Departure for Villeneuve l’Etang, 462; last Weeks, 463. Project for a Pasteur Hospital, 464. Death of Pasteur, 464.

Index 465

CHAPTER I. 1822--1843

1822--1843

The origin of even the humblest families can be traced back by persevering search through the ancient parochial registers. Thus the name of Pasteur is to be found written at the beginning of the seventeenth century in the old registers of the Priory of Mouthe, in the province of Franche Comté. The Pasteurs were tillers of the soil, and originally formed a sort of tribe in the small village of Reculfoz, dependent on the Priory, but they gradually dispersed over the country.

The registers of Mièges, near Nozeroy, contain an entry of the marriage of Denis Pasteur and Jeanne David, dated February 9, 1682. This Denis, after whom the line of Pasteur’s ancestors follows in an unbroken record, lived in the village of Plénisette, where his eldest son Claude was born in 1683. Denis afterward sojourned for some time in the village of Douay, and ultimately forsaking the valley of Mièges came to Lemuy, where he worked as a miller for Claude François Count of Udressier, a noble descendant of a secretary of the Emperor Charles V.

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