1865—1870 159 



The experiments were successful. Pasteur's life was now 

 over full. He returned to Paris at the beginning of October, 

 and threw himself into his work, his classes at the Sorbonne, 

 the organization of his laboratory, some further polemics on 

 the subject of silkworm disease, and projected experiments for 

 the following year. This accumulation of mental work 

 brought about extreme cerebral tension. 



As soon as he saw M. Gernez, he spoke to him of the coming 

 campaign of sericiculture, of his desire to reduce his adver- 

 saries to silence by heaping proof upon proof. Nothing could 

 relieve him from that absorbing preoccupation, not even the 

 gaiety of Bertin, who, living on the same floor at the Ecole 

 Normale, often used to come in after dinner and try to amuse 

 him. 



On Monday, October 19, Pasteur, though suffering from a 

 strange tingling sensation of the left side, had a great desire 

 to go and read to the Academic des Sciences a treatise by Salim- 

 beni, an Italian, who, having studied and verified Pasteur's 

 results, declared that the best means of regenerating the cul- 

 ture of silkworms was due to the French scientist. This 

 treatise, the diploma of the Bonn University, the Rumford 

 medal offered by the English, all those testimonials from neigh- 

 bouring nations were infinitely agreeable to Pasteur, who was 

 proud to lay such homage before the shrine of France. On 

 that day, October 19, 1868, a date which became a bitter 

 memory to his family and friends — in spite of an alarming 

 shivering fit which had caused him to lie down immediately 

 after lunch instead of working as usual — he insisted on going 

 to the Academy sitting at half past two. 



Mme. Pasteur, vaguely uneasy, made a pretext of some shop- 

 ping beyond the Quai Conti and accompanied him as far as the 

 vestibule of the Institute. As she was turning back, she met 

 Balard, who was coming up with the quick step of a young 

 man, stopped him and asked him to walk back with Pasteur, 

 and not to leave him before reacliing his own door, though 

 indeed it seemed a curious exchange of parts to ask Balard at 

 sixty years of age to watch over Pasteur still so young. Pasteur 

 read Salimbeni's paper in his usual steady voice, remained 

 until the end of the sitting and walked back with Balard and 

 Sainte Claire Deville. He dined very lightly and went to bed 

 at nine o'clock; he had hardly got into bed when he felt him* 

 self attacked by the strange symptoms of the afternoon. He 



