Biology and Its Makers: With Portraits and Other IllustrationsLocy, William A. (William Albert)
History
Biology and Its Makers: With Portraits and Other Illustrations
Locy, William A. (William Albert)
Biology -- History
The Pasteur Institute.--The time had now come for the establishment
of an institute, not alone for the treatment of hydrophobia, but
also for the scientific study of means to control other diseases, as
diphtheria, typhoid, tuberculosis, etc. A movement was set on foot for
a popular subscription to meet this need. The response to this call
on the part of the common people was gratifying. "The extraordinary
enthusiasm which accompanied the foundation of this great institution
has certainly not been equaled in our time. Considerable sums of money
were subscribed in foreign countries, while contributions poured in
from every part of France. Even the inhabitants of obscure little
towns and villages organized fêtes, and clubbed together to send their
small gifts" (Franckland). The total sum subscribed on the date of the
opening ceremony amounted to 3,586,680 francs.
The institute was formally opened on November 14th, 1888, with
impressive ceremonies presided over by the President of the Republic
of France. The establishment of this institute was an event of
great scientific importance. Here, within the first decade of its
existence, were successfully treated more than twenty thousand cases
of hydrophobia. Here has been discovered by Roux the antitoxin
for diphtheria, and here have been established the principles of
inoculation against the bubonic plague, against lockjaw, against
tuberculosis and other maladies, and of the recent microbe inoculations
of Wright of London. More than thirty "Pasteur institutes," with aims
similar to the parent institution, have been established in different
parts of the civilized world.
Pasteur died in 1895, greatly honored by the whole world. On Saturday,
October 5th of that year, a national funeral was conducted in the
Church of Notre-Dame, which was attended by the representatives of the
state and of numerous scientific bodies and learned societies.
Koch.--Robert Koch (Fig. 93) was born in 1843, and is still living,
engaged actively in work in the University of Berlin. His studies
have been mainly those of a medical man, and have been crowned with
remarkable success. In 1881 he discovered the germ of tuberculosis, in
1883 the germ that produces Asiatic cholera, and since that time his
name has been connected with a number of remarkable discoveries that
are of continuous practical application in the science of medicine.
[Illustration: Fig. 93.--Robert Koch, Born 1843.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account