230 LOUIS PASTEUR 



been done for hydrophobia that one man could well 

 do. He looked forward to new fields to conquer, — 

 to diphtheria, cholera, tuberculosis, the plague, and 

 many other diseases which afflict mankind, but his 

 strength did not permit of further active investiga- 

 tions. The work on rabies had been peculiarly 

 taxing. Added to the intense labor devoted to the 

 struggle with this disease, there was the anxiety 

 over the outcome of the treatments which gave him 

 many sleepless nights and robbed him of much 

 nervous energy. He was frequently called upon to 

 address or preside at public meetings, and his cor- 

 respondence, which was punctiliously attended to, 

 took much of his time. In 1889, despite his fail- 

 ing strength, he went to Alais to take part in the 

 ceremony of raising a statue to J. B. Dumas for 

 whose memory he cherished the deepest reverence. 

 The silk growers of that region, in memory of Pas- 

 teur's control of the silk-worm disease, presented 

 him with a token of their gratitude in the form of 

 a silver branch of heather adorned with the golden 

 cocoons of the silk worm. In his acknowledgment 

 of the gift, Pasteur said, "In the expression of your 

 gratitude, by which I am deeply moved, do not 

 forget that the role of initiator was played by 

 M. Dumas." 



