HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1923-01-18, Page 3LOUIS PASTEUR, THE GREATEST
BENEFACTOR OF THE HUMAN RACE
Centenary of the Birth of the Man of Genius Who Discover-'
ed Germsand Gave Us Our First teal Defense
'Against Death.
•• echo' ease with it. Later he allowed these
cultures to stand during a 'period of
two ;weeks, and found that they had so
weakened that they failed to kill the
chickens, but gave them a mild dis-
ease of which they soon. recovered; but
remained thereafter protected from
future attacks of the disease. This
was the first scientific establishment
of the principle of vaeoination, so
widely applied now to various diseases,
The whole- scientific world.
orated the centenary of Pasteur's birth
on December 27 last. lie was born in
Prance, the son of a tanner. He show-
ed no special aptitude in his early
youth in the study of chemistry, to
which he was to devote his life. He at
first met with but meagre success. But
lee,' however, soon showed a predilec-
tion for the study sof crystals and their
formation. It was while observing the
formation of paratartrate of magnesia
under the microscope that he was at-
tracted by a multitude of wriggliiig
germs .in the field of the microscope,
Thinking that they were alive he ask-
ed'himself what might happen if tbey
were destroyed by heat. Having done
so, he found that these germs moved
no longer, were;.killed, and ,the forma-
tion of crystals ceased. This was the
-first time that it ever dawned upon the
mind of Alan that there, exists about us
a world of minute organisms
that
are
directly concerned in the affairs of
men:
Seeing an analogy between the phen-
omenon just ,observed and the fermen-
tation of beer, he found that the yeast
•
plant was a livingg organismthat it
grew upon the wort, decomposing it
and producing as a result a third sub-
stance or beer. • It is the 'life of the.
growing yeasty which produces the
change and not the mere chemical de
composition, Pasteur was attracted
by the similarity of putrefaction to the
phenomenon of fermentation. He
found that putrefying substances con-
tained multitudes .of germs, visible un-
der the microscope. When these germe
were killed by heat, the odor ceased
and the putrefaction stopped. He then
concluded that putrefaction was due to
the development of germs in dead ani-
mal matter. Indeed flasks containing
bouillon, made sixty years ago, are
still preserved to -day, having been
carefully. "sealed- at that time and, no
germs having b:adaccess to ;thein, no
,decomposition • has• vet in: It was
thereby, proved that `spontaneous gene-
ration does not exist, ' and that there
cannot be any 'putrefaction with the
accompanying growth of germs. -
Antiseptic Treatment, of Wounds.
The first direct application of this
disoovery was made by Joseph Lister,.
who found in foul wounds a great
similarity with putrefactive -processes
c
due, to germse Lister destroyed
-, Hen
she •o
foul •dor in wounds,. by the apjili-
'cation-'of'a solution of carbolic acid,
thereby- destroying the germs; he then
farther prevented the access of germs
to the wound by covering it with
sterilized` cotton. This constitutes the
' antiseptic treatment of wounds that.
lien raised surgery to its- high pinnacle
of success, by eliminating :suppuration
and blood poison and by making pos-
sible the most daring intervention, 011.
the human body: Lister has freely ac-
knowledged his entire dependence up-
on Pasteur far .the development .and
success of his antiseptic treatment of
wounds.
These researches soon established
the canned goods industry, which
simply consists in destroying by heat
the germs in various articles. to be pre-
served, and then keeping them'in seal-
ed receptacles, effectually preventing
tho further access .of germs,
Pasteur found that the silkworm in-
dustry in the South of France was
seriously threatened by a germ found,
in the body of the silkworms and on
the leaves of the mulberry • trees up-
on which they fed. The silk werms
were destroyed. The mulberry leaves
died away in winter. A new importa-
tion of worms was made front China,
and, the germs being destroyed, the
silkworm industry • started anew free
from the contaminating germs. This
was the first suggestion of preventive
medicine, by quarantines, board of
health, etc.
Anthrax is a virulent disease fatal to
cattle. Pasteur found that this disease
was due : to a large germ. He: made
cultures of it, and reproduced the dis-
easesby injecting these cultures into
sheep. Later he produced a weak cul-
ture of these germs whereby he sue-
cessfully established a method of voc-
cinatiug animals against this disease
and preventing them from developing
it. Likewise he found the cause of
ahioken cholera He isolated a f,erni
from their excreta; after making pure
-cultures with it, he reproduced the die-
Protection Against Hydrophobia,
He then directed his attention to the
study . of hydrophobia, He communi-
cated thedisease to dogsby inoculat-
ing them with the saliva of a and
that had died. of hydrophobia. Later
he communicated the disease from dog
to dog. Then be it to• rabbits and
found that rabbits developed a more
intense form of the disease. On der
ing the spinal cords of: rabbits that
died of hydrophobia he found 'that he
e
could obtain cords of vamps degrees
of virulence. By injecting these grad-
ually from the weakest to the strong-
est, he protected dogs and later human
beings against' this dreaded disease.
And so the germ theory • of disease
was established. • Later tuberculosis,
diphtheria, tetanus, yellow fever, ma-
larial fever and all communicable and
infectious diseases were found to be
due to a specific germ.
Epitaph in Pasteur Institute.
Pasteur, Chas discovered a new world..
Future expl+orere will expand for all
time the work which he started.
France has already voted him the
greatest Frenchman of all time. If the
'greatness of a man is to be rated by
the good he has done for the whole
human race, now and forever and al-
ways increasing, Pasteur stands alone,
the greatest ..of 'human benefactors.
Furthermore he has demonstrated that
germs were absolutely necessary in
order to destroy by putrefaction all
dead animal matter, in order to make
room for new animal life,otherwise.
dead matter would encumber the
world and defeatthe law of the per-
petuity of life•. On the other hand,
Pasteur has taught man- tbat disease
wasa sort of purtrefactive process
started in us by some of the germs.
Pasteur has taught us haw to keep
them away from us. Nay, more, he has
taught us, by vaccination, to snatch
•the prevention and cure of the disease
by steng
t 'tu: the , ere .!arms wtli'�t•tb'
:•atin Y.W
produce'the given disease. Pasteur's•
work is ;sublime! It,reaehes the whole
of :humanity and, by gradually ridding
man of disease he must all the sooner
reach bis higher destiny. And withal'
Pasteur was the humblest of men! He
saw a living god in wonders of chemis-
try and in the deepest problems of
existence, so much so that his own
words are now his epitaph in -the crypt
of the Pasteur Institute in Paris:
"Happy is he who possesses within
himself a God, an ideal of beauty, an
ideal of science, an ideal of patriotism,
and who •obeys it -an ideal of all the.
virtues of the Gospel."
Pasteur died on September 27, 1895.
AN T -
T-'
111
C
1
The Tree Planter.
2 saw a woman, bent and grey,
Planting trees by the bleak highway:
And seeds of grasses and seeds- of
• flowers
She .scattered there through the
hours..
She locked so fragile and old and worn;
That, touched with pity, I spoke to
her.
�e Tyranny of. Order.
•
st an excellent thing order is,
essence of accomplishment, the
dation ` of life! Plan your going'
(*ming, plan your expenses; plan'
clothing, plan your thoughts; on
i• a basis you will go a long way.
nd some seem to be born with the
;inet for it: when they are children
lir toys are in their places, their
sines ` are neat and tidy, their ideas
"Why toll, kind mother, .the livc long ; a e` neat • and tidy, with a spruceness
day,tivatt?gratifi.es parents and teachers and
Planting trees by the bleak highway? rthat need not offend ,friends if it is
You have earned a home and'an easy accontpanied by other amiable sushi•
Famous Fasters of ihstary
Fasting, self -unposed, sued as is now
being practised by .aeyer4,i of the In-
rmateii of Mounrtjoy Prison, Dublin, is
by no lneana peculiar to modern times
or to the present Political conditions.
An through the Ages there have been
persons 'who were willing and eager
to demonstrate their capacity for' do-
ing without food or drink, and as early
as the fourteenth ;century there is a
case on record of the "hunger strike"
Pure and simple, Some nI the details
of ti eee fastings are "so extraordinary
and so obviously exaggerated that we
cannot help wondering howeven the
people of those time's could have given
them credit; but numerous cases are
to' be found where ca.'eful tests were
applied and truly remarkable results
vouched for by,• reliable witnesses.
In 1357 Cecilia, wife of John :de
Rygeway, was thrown into Nottingham
Prison for the murder of her husband.
Whether the lady was guiIty or not
cannot be ascertained, but she seems
to have cousddered herself i11 used, for
on trustworthy authority she remained
mute and fasting for .a period of forty
days, at the end of which time she was
rel:eased and granted a pardon, her
power to abstaiu frcm food being con-
sidered as' a gift from heaven and a
sign of her innocence.
Anothere very similar case was that
of ,John Scott, who in 1531, having
failed• in' a law case, abstained, pre-
sumably by .way of protest, from all
meat and drink for thirty days. The
King having heard of this and being
resolved to test the truth of the re-
port. ordered Scott to be locked up in
a cell in Edinborough Castle with only
a small quantity of bread and water.
After thirty-two days it was found that
the bread and water had not been
touched, and Pram the fact that Scott
immediately on his release -went out
and barangued the crowd that was
awaiting his appearance he would not
Costly Curiosity.
The Indian medicine man of the old
North-west was often an intentional
deceiver , whq played upon the ignor-
ance of his fellow tribesmen: Some-
times, however; as we learn from Mr.
H. M. Robineou''s Great Fur Land, he
proves himself as credulous as his fol-
lowers.
One day in winter, says Mr. Robin-
son, a party of Indians came to our
house to beg for food; among them
were several noted conjurers. We
were all curious to know how fartheir
belief in the supernatural would carry
then;; ant, since we had a large music
box, 'we wound it up and, unnoticed,
put it on the -table. In a moment it be-
gan to play. The faces of the savages
took on a wondering and dazed ex-
pression. • But, quickly recovering
their poise, they began to trace the
sound to ita origin. After several
minutes' of deep attention an old man
raised his gun and Bred at the box.
It is perhaps unnecessary to mention
that the instrtim+ent was ruined. The
conjurer asserted that an evil spirit
concealed in the box cad caused the
Anisic, and that it could be driven out
only 'with a gunshot. Our curiosity
was satisfied, but at a considerable ex-
pense.
earehatesseee
UPPC}'o CANADA'S FOIST lST (`,OUNca'1 GHAMI3E'Tk
The ,.staid hoose hi King+stori In Which the first council of tipper
Ceeada i=tlnclticted to delibora;tiolte.
chair `
In place • of toiling.. and sweating
there."
She answered, "I love the work, my sen,
And rest conies sweet alien the day
is done."
"Why plant the flowers on• the Iiir'�
way's hem? • '" f
Sim smiled.:"The children:.will gn.
'Or tli,eaitt:, e r, _ : see
`But the tree`s :•you're. planting, 'ye
pass away
E'er they cast a shade by. tho 'bi
highway."
"It matters little that I should 'die,
I can but plant them," she made re -
Ply.
ties.; And some are born without it
a. (could not acquire it if they lived
sand years. Their lives 'drift;
ouls drift. They are always a
ate, always a ;little unmended„
a little in debt, and as a gen-
thing they are frightfully 'unrorl-
d about the matter. It is their
,that have the concern—and en-
-coiisequenees. And some,
^`e- the +dense of order:: by.
�r
uL ffort their. own or their
qts'; and, though- the 'instinct is
er quite so perfect as when intui-
, it is all the more valued for the
ts• oaf • acciuisition and is. even more
to lead to fruitful accomplish -
in the end.
-yes, 'order is asplendid thing;
but, there may be too much of it, and
those whose lives are fully subjected
to it are too quick to make it a burden
to others, . says' •a writer in Youth's
Companion.` They net only come and
"I. love to dream ,that the birds will
swing
Ou the topmost branches and gladly
sing,
And happy children will gather here
To play 'neatbr my trees from year to go themselves with admirable regu-
year; larity and precision but they demand
Then, perchance a pilgrim' will pass that others shall do the same. Their
some day
And find a shade by the bleak high-
waY."
--Richard Posey Campbell.
Civilization.Goin
� North.
The earliest civilization arose in the
warm regions of Egypt and Mesopota'.
min. As man acquired the art of re-.
silting cold by means • of better houses
and clothing and fires he was able to
endure colder climates. Northward
the star of empire made it way. Crete, •
Greece, Rome, Bysantium, and. later
Northern Europe. Tacitus• conoiclored who') life, is all planned you hate to
the clanate of Germany and England break the plan.` Andafter an, healthy
too cold for civilized many.. A dease life •i5 nothing but a succession of
population in high latitudes was ire- breaks and interruptions to which you
possible so long as wood was the only moat adapt yourself with dreadful det-
fuel, for the forests had to be removed
to give room to fields. But the intro-
duction of coal enabled cities to grow
to any size. Gil-Fillan tracesthe-ridge
of contemporary ciailizatiori along the a world that has endless possibilities
isotherm of 50, degress Fahrenheit of diversion if only you do not try to
mean temperature The five leading force it into youir one rigidmould.
cities, New Yoi+k, London, Paris, I3er- Order may be heaven's that law;
lin Chicago, are Within a little more verylikely: it is: But there are a let
than a degree of this, He ventures to of other'laws.
predict that in the year 2000` cities like
seem to have ,suffered greatly as a re-
sult oe his ordearl. Later the sante
man, on being thrown into prison for
declaiming. against :kleury's cl9•'tree
from Katherine, fasted fee a periodat
fifty days.
Among those eases In which it is dif-
tiGult to believe that ' there liars not
been ,soma exaggerate= May be men-
tioned that of a young lady of Wiggin-
ton, Staffordshire, Mary Waughan be.
name, who, having been from birth ae.
customed to only small quantities of
food, became famous for the very
meager, amount on whleh sae was able
to subsist.
It was said Lhat her daily fare con-
sisted of nothing, awe e than a piece of
bread and batter of the size of a fifty
,cent piece, or, it it were meat, as much
as a pigeon's egg at most. Sb'e drank
Wily water or milk, of both mixed, and's"'
of these not more than a spoonful a
day. Yetshe was spoken of as a
maiden of R fresh complexion and
healthy constitution, very religiously
disposed and therefore the less likely
to practice a deceit.
In 'confirmation of these remark-
able statements it was further men-
tioned that any food in excess of this
or any other liquids always made her
sick.
- Perhaps the most remarkable case
of fasting as also one of, the most tra-
gic was that of the "fasting girl" of
South Wales, who in 1869 was exbiibit
ed -by her parents as having eaten
nothing for two years-. This statement
being open to doubt and persistently
maintained, certain zealots in the
cause of truth arranged that four
trained nurses should be in continuous
attendance. This was done and after
eight days of fasting the unfortunate
girl died. The parents were tried and
•convicted on a charge of me,nslaugbt-
er; but we are, not aware that any a;c•
tion was taken ease., against that
nurses or those who employed them -
lives are guided' by the clock, and they
are not satisfied unless they can in-
ject that steadfast. terrible, remorse -
lees ticking into your life. What is
the'' use of having a house tidy and
meals prompt and clothes well press-
ed and mended if careless fingers soil
the, paint, and forgetful appetites neg-
lect the meals, and hasty tardiness
gets the clothes on awry and spots
and 'stains them before they are two
days, worn?' So order tyrannizes over
others.
And it tyrannizes' over itself. For
rirnent.to all preconceived system. So
thaC-the slaves of order are likely to
have' but an unhappy- time of it, and
they look pale and thin and anxious in
Miracle Complete.
"Nor had the smell of fire paaeed.
on. them." -Daniel iii. 27.
In fiery furnace heated seven times,
Full many a Shadraeh walks un-
touched by flame
That round the fabric of the soul en-
twines,.
Yet leavesthereon no ling'ring trace
behinds -
These in the faithfulness of God have examined the clover blossoms and the
known bees of New Zealand under a micro -
A sevenfold compensation for their
own:
Detroit and Copenhagen will be in the
position of cultural leathers+hip, and by Death and the Flying Man.
A D 2100 it will be the turn of 1Vion1-
areal, Charistelante and Memel, :'Ville A• ring neat; went trailing Death;
jalinur Stefansson holds the same Btit his intrepid soul,
theory of the nora:mead trend of civil;- Whet. at last they met and olinched,
zation, and I do not know that be Was, left both gay and whole.
would stop 'short of the pole,
But such predictions are obviously "There are other wings," said 17ee,tee
based Upon the course of the cultural "Spreaid there in the light:
movement tri the past, and this is due Drair the wood and droll the flesh;
to man's Ina -easing Control of heating Try e longer flight!"
appliances, by which he can fight the
excessive told In northern latitudes, If "Coed'. :said the flying marc,
now, scionce- ,should endow :luau with "3'11go oe with you."
like control of cooling appliances by But the shreds lie left behind
Which he cau;fight the excessive heat Were all Bien had to view,
of southern latitudes, might not the
tide turn? Whets systems of cooling' Semetltieg they laid in boiiow earth,
Validate beconle as well deveiopc 3 as With a box and shroud;
heating systems are now many not eller mated not bear tho laugh that
even the tropics becomes habitable to di`otmed
Lite highest eleilizatiCa? We are 'al- From + high, bright cloud,
ready, thanks to refrigeration, begin-
niri!g ,to live off the tropics. Perhaps
sometime, we may, by tlic son 0
meet e,•be able to live lu lbs e• ..
Preferred Earache.
-.Marlon Couthouy Stnitlr
Didnet Work.
lta.
Qui fod:-"What on earth ere
see '+t ing to do?
'Mee. B. writes that 'Cies little bee ; a4irr, Tuet:iolncd- 1 wee readarg
retitar i
red that he'd Much lather I eo , ebout cooldne by eloctrieity, so hung
the ea'rIeh+e than the tootheehe, be - 'the (tops on„ tite elector boll, and I've
cause 11,6 iltdl
t't have to hev"o his earl been Nest ing the button for half as
milled out. i hour; bet it d;oesf't seem to work,"
The Tongue of a Bee.
For many years in New Zealand red
clover was not a successful crop. It
would grow well for one season and -
then would die without. forming seed
for, another sowing. To ship inseed
for every crop was, so expensive that
not many farmers sowed clover in
their fields.
At last a man of science who had
But friend, if e'er you've dared- to play
fa
wit11 fire,
scope discovered that the whole diffi-
culty lay in the tongue of the bee. The'
clover blossoms are fertilized by bees,
which carry the pollen as they .flit
from one plant to another in search of
el -et, •-h ` His .lehaseaies -a e.. -.not .honey. But in New Zealand the Mos-
„ y �--- nil sons . Were too deep' for the unug,.a_o
uen eons+mostr; ` ; , h could. notreach tho
'Tis you who most will tune your of the bees; ,they
thankful lyre.
In praise for mercy's+ miraole con-
piete—•
When e'en the very savor of the fire
No longer elings unto your soul's de-
sire
ilda M. Piero.
Concert Audiences • Are So
Different.
.A. well-known American traveller
and writer tells of his experience at a
concert in ate Italian centre •of musical
culture. A singer who had rather
passed her prime was on the pro-
gramme. At the close •of her number
there was. a chorus. of hisses and jeers,
then prolonged applause until the
singer reappeared. As she bowed her
way oft the stage the applause con-
tinued, -till she finally responded with
art encore. Tine again was followed
by hissing and jeering, which changed
to applause till she reappeared and
was booheh off the stage. Apparently
the public was getting fun out of
mocking at the shortcomings of the
singer and -were recalling her for the
pleasure of humiliating her by show-
ing their disapproval, ••
in Great Britain things are quite the
reverse. The singer who has risen to
the state of artistry in her profession
and who has won the approval of the
public can count on its loyalty to the
end Though the brilliancy of years
may have faded from the outer com-
pass of the voice, so long as the artist
selects songs suited 'ho his or her re-
maining tones and interprets the corn-
positian with insight into its art, the
public retrains true to its old frieuit.
pollen, and so the blossoms' never grew
into seed.
When bumblebees from other lands
were brought in and turned loose to;
live and work, red clover blossoms pro-
duced the perfect seed for future sow-
ing. The prosperity wrapped up in the
clover 'crops of that great island con-
tinent hung, you might say, on the
tongue of a bee!
There is another great possibility
that hangs on a tongue—not on the
tongue of a bee. but on your tongue
and on my toogne- To be sure, our
tongues are larger than the tongue of.
te bee; yet the human tongue is a small.
thing to hold the great possibilities
that it does. When you are asked to .
do right or wrong the answer yes or
no is on your tontue, end the answer
you give will determine the fruit that
your life shall bear. When you see
another person facing a decision the
word that you speak then may deter-
mine the Trait that your friend shall
bear throughout his life, When the
question of accepting end following
Jesus Christ is before you the answer
yes or no le -on your t.ougue, and the
answer that your tongue gives will de-
termine the blessing and happiness
and prosperity of your life not only
here but in all eternity.
The words hang upon your tongue,
yes; but be the master of your tongue,
and then there will be no doubt which
way it will direct your character and
life.
- ----4 - ---^-
Not Learning.
Teacher—"Well, Henry. are you
learning anything?"
Henry--"Pleemee no sir; t'm listen-
ing to you."
AN
HISTORIC MYSTERY
Who Nulled the totems of British. C`.olutttbia, Lo•ty they 818 the work.
• . meaning, are c uesticne of perpetual interest Le these who have
their age and i c ng, i
1
r a relative totem of the Vancouver island
,studied tlrrni, the liietttre shows
;diwash Weems, It is the 'Thunder 131rd. The 1110.11111 opens and forme an
entl'5Th e. Tradition tells that they invited 2, rival 'tribe to si "potlacb"'and
aw tins Men were adntitthd
one by ohne through the mouth of the "'Therrd'or-
Bird" they were murdered by their hosts.