Pasteur, Louis, 1822-1895; Scientists -- France -- Biography
“There are now no remaining traces of that accident, and I am as I was
three weeks ago. The improvement in the movements of the leg and arm
appears to have begun again, but with excessive slowness. I am about to
have recourse to electricity, under the advice and instructions of Dr.
Godélier, by means of a small Ruhmkorff apparatus which he has kindly
sent me. My brain is still very weak.
“This is how my days are spent: in the morning my three young friends
come to see me, and I arrange the day’s work. I get up at twelve, after
having my breakfast in bed, and having had the newspaper read to me. If
fine, I then spend an hour or two in the little garden of this house.
Usually, if I am feeling pretty well, I dictate to my dear wife a page,
or more frequently half a page, of a little book I am preparing, and in
which I intend to give a short account of the whole of my observations.
Before dinner, which I have alone with my wife and my little girl in
order to avoid the fatigue of conversation, my young collaborators bring
me a report of their work. About seven or half past, I always feel
terribly tired and inclined to sleep twelve consecutive hours; but I
invariably wake at midnight, not to sleep again until towards morning,
when I doze again for an hour or two. What makes me hope for an ultimate
cure is the fact that my appetite keeps good, and that those short hours
of sleep appear to be sufficient. You see that on the whole I am doing
nothing rash, being moreover rigorously watched by my wife and little
daughter. The latter pitilessly takes books, pens, papers and pencils
away from me with a perseverance which causes me joy and despair.
“It is because I know your affection for your pupils that I venture to
give you so many details. I will now answer the other questions in your
letter.
“I shall be at Alais from April 1; that will be the time when they will
begin hatching seed for the industrial campaign, which will consequently
be concluded about May 20 at the latest. Seeding will take place during
June, more or less early according to departments. It is indeed very
late to obtain seed, especially indigenous seed prepared according to my
process. I had foreseen that I should receive demands at the last
moment, and that I should do well to put by a few ounces; but, about
three weeks ago, our energetic Minister wrote to ask me for some seed to
distribute to schoolmasters, and I promised him what I had. However I
will take some from his share and send you several lots of five grammes.
The director of a most interesting Austrian establishment has also
ordered two ounces, saying he is convinced of the excellence of my
method. His establishment is a most interesting experimental
_magnanerie_, founded in a handsome Illyrian property. Lastly, I have
also promised two ounces to M. le Comte de Casabianca. One of my young
men is going out to his place in Corsica to do the seeding.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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