THE CONQUEST OF DISEASE 



applied these principles in man to the treat- 

 ment of rabies, and removed the dangers of this 

 terrible malady. The conquest of hydropho- 

 bia by Pasteur is one of the most important 

 events in human history. He studied anthrax 

 in cattle and devised an antitoxin for its pre- 

 vention, as a result of which France alone is 

 saved annually $5,000,000 worth of sheep and 

 $5,000,000 worth of cows. He discovered the 

 cause and prevention of the rouget disease 

 among hogs, the mortality having been twenty 

 per cent. Pasteur reduced it to one and five- 

 tenths per cent. He did the same with chicken 

 cholera and the silk-worm disease. In the 

 words of Professor Huxley, "Pasteur's discov- 

 eries alone in money value have been sufficient 

 to make good the war indemnity of one thou- 

 sand million dollars, paid by France to Ger- 

 many." The conquest of diphtheria is due to 

 Pasteur more than to any other man. His ex- 

 periments were carried on with guinea pigs, 

 rabbits, and dogs. If one is not sure of the 

 beneficence of the work of this modest man, 

 let him read the story of his life by Vallery-Ra- 

 dot. 1 Every schoolboy should be familiar with 



Life of Pasteur. By Eene Vallery-Kadot. McClure, 

 Phillips & Co., 1906. 



