484 ZOOLOGY 



mummies. In flacherie, on the contrary, they dis- 

 solved into a liquid mass. In either case they perished, 

 and others, brought to replace them, went the same 

 way. J. B. Dumas, a senator of France, was begged to 

 find some one to investigate the matter, and he had no 

 hesitation in choosing Pasteur. People said, who is 

 this chemist, brought here to save the silkworms, of 

 which he knows nothing ? Pasteur had, in fact, never 

 seen a silkworm cocoon, and was astonished when the 

 entomologist Fabre explained to him that it would pro- 

 duce a moth. Nevertheless, he knew a great deal 

 about germs of diseases and fermentation, and had no 

 difficulty in perceiving that there existed epidemic, 

 contagious diseases. The proper methods were fairly 

 obvious in the light of what he knew, - - to get rid of all 

 diseased insects, and start afresh, with all sanitary pre- 

 cautions. Yet people would not believe in this com- 

 paratively simple solution, and Pasteur wished to 

 demonstrate his method on a large scale. He obtained 

 control of an estate belonging to the Emperor Na- 

 poleon III, and was able to show the practical value of 

 his ideas in a manner sufficiently public to attract gen- 

 eral attention. The silk industry was saved, and with 

 it the livelihood of thousands of peasants. 



Pasteur and io. The Emperor interviewed Pasteur, and expressed 

 the Emperor sur p r i se tnat ne did not make money out of his dis- 

 coveries. One who could save silk and wine from de- 

 struction might well be a millionaire. No, said Pasteur, 

 it is impossible. As soon as one task is accomplished, 

 he must turn to something else, trying to do as much as 

 possible in a short human life. To think of profit would 

 be ruinous to all this. It was sufficient to benefit France, 

 but he did wish to have the means of doing this to the 

 utmost. Carrying out the same idea, we find him begging 



