PASTEUR: A STUDY IN GREATNESS 15 



from the air. They are aerobic. But if sunk, by accident or otherwise, 

 beneath the surface they must either perish or adapt themselves to their 

 new environment by extracting oxygen from the nearest source of 

 supply. This is the sugar of the solution. They are able to accom- 

 plish this but slowly at first, and the bulk of the first submerged bac- 

 teria suffocate. But reproducing rapidly by budding, ensuing genera- 

 tions are gradually but, for us, rapidly converted into true anaerobes, 

 which, robbing the sugar molecules of oxygen, cause that chemical 

 change called fermentation. 



This problem solved, Pasteur was able to show from it the following 

 results of his work : (1) Precisely what fermentation is, (2) that fer- 

 ments are living organisms, (3) that every variety of fermentation is 

 caused by a special ferment, (4) that neither bacteria nor any other 

 life forms are spontaneously generated, (5) how to prepare culture 

 media suitable to the growth of various bacteria, (6) how to propagate 

 pure cultures of bacteria, (7) a basis of classification of bacteria, 

 (8) the chemical and microscopical technique of bacteriology, (9) the 

 cause and cure of various "diseases" of fermented liquors, (10) the 

 cause and cure of various silkworm diseases, (11) an explanation of the 

 mystery of the optical behavior of tartaric and racemic acids, (12) two 

 new tartaric acids (13) how to synthesize meso-tartaric and racemic 

 acids, (14) how to make racemic acid available to commerce. 



In comparison with this great work of Pasteur's, the classic example 

 of persevering genius — Newton's fourteen-year pondering over falling 

 bodies — sinks into insignificance, no matter how considered, either as 

 to time involved, the difficulties encountered, or the practical value of 

 results obtained. N"or must one fail to note that incidentally Pasteur 

 had beaten out a road into a new world and created two new sciences 

 which were to serve as vehicles for its exploration and exploitation. 



Pasteur's health had been so impaired by these arduous researches 

 that he was now compelled to give up his professorship. As he was 

 entirely without private resources, his colleagues exerted themselves 

 upon his behalf, and succeeded in obtaining for him from the govern- 

 ment, in 1874, an annual pension of 12,000 francs, the equivalent of the 

 salary he had previously received. 



His friends now urged him to abstain from work; but his genius 

 could not endure inaction. He began the study of anthrax and ferun- 

 cular diseases. While these studies were in progress, the bubonic plague 

 appeared in Russia, and the yellow fever began to work havoc in the 

 French colonies on the west coast of Africa and in the United States. 

 Pasteur prepared a program of preliminary researches upon them. A 

 paper to the Academie des Sciences presented December 30, 1878, 

 closes with these words : " Is it not permissible to believe that a day 

 will come when easily applied preventative means will arrest those 

 scourges which suddenly desolate and terrify populations." 



