PASTEUR 



431 



of brain of increasing virulence until the brain of a rabbit that had 

 died the same day was used. It was found that the treated dogs 

 were immune from hydrophobia. 



Pasteur invited a commission of 

 scientists to investigate his work. 

 Rabid dogs w^ere permitted to bite 

 healthy dogs that had been treated 

 with Pasteur's inoculations and 

 some that had not been treated. 

 The former did not contract 

 rabies, the latter did. The scien- 

 tists were enthusiastic over this 

 scientific triumph. Pasteur then 

 showed that the development 

 of rabies in dogs that had been 

 bitten by a rabid dog could be 

 prevented by means of similar 

 inoculations. 



In 1885, a little Alsatian boy, 

 Joseph Meister, was brought by 

 his mother into Pasteur's labora- 

 tory. He had been horribly bitten 

 by a mad dog. Pasteur, after con- 

 sultation with other scientists, 

 decided to give him inoculations 

 of brain and spinal cord material 

 that he had prepared. His first 

 inoculation was material that had 

 dried fourteen days. This was fol- 

 lowed by further inoculations, of 

 increasing strengths. The treatment lasted ten days and included 

 twelve inoculations. It was successful in preventing rabies and was 

 the first successful treatment for rabies given to a human being. 



I'ncijic (t- Atlantic Photos 



The people of Chicago have erected a 

 monument in recognition of the inesti- 

 mable service of Louis Pasteur to human- 

 ity. Millions of people passing the monu- 

 ment give occasional thought to the 

 nobility of character and devoted life of 

 the great scientist. 



