1877—1879 279 



"The hen No. 2 has been given up to M. Colin to be used 

 for any examination or experiment which he might like to 

 try at Alfort. 



"Signed: G. Colin, H. Bouley, C. Davaine, L, Pasteur, 

 A. Vulpian." 



"This is a precious autograph, headed as it is by M. Colin 's 

 signature!" gaily said Bouley. But Pasteur, pleased as he 

 was with this conclusion, which put an end to all discussion 

 on that particular point, was already turning his thoughts into 

 another channel. The Academician who had joined the 

 members of the Commission was showing him a number of 

 the Bevue Scientifique which had appeared that morning, and 

 which contained an article of much interest to Pasteur. 



In October, 1877, Claude Bernard, staying for the last time 

 at St. Julien, near Yillefranche, had begun some experiments 

 on fermentations. He had continued them on his return to 

 Paris, alone, in the study which was above his laboratory at 

 the College de France. 



When Paul Bert, his favourite pupil, M. d'Arsonval, his 

 curator, M. Dastre, a former pupil, and M. Armand Moreau, 

 his friend, came to see him, he said to them in short, enig- 

 matical sentences, with no comment or experimental demon- 

 stration, that he had done some good work during the vacation. 

 "Pasteur will have to look out . . . Pasteur has only 

 seen one side of the question ... J make alcohol without 

 cells . . . There is no life without air ..." 



Bernard's and Pasteur's seats at the Academy of Sciences/ 

 were next to each other, and they usually enjoyed inter- 

 changing ideas. Claude Bernard had come to the November 

 and December sittings, but, with a reticence to which he had 

 not accustomed Pasteur, he had made no allusion to his 

 October experiments. In January, 1878, he became seriously 

 ill; in his conversations with M. d'Arsonval, who was affec- 

 tionatel}^ nursing him, Claude Bernard talked of his next 

 lecture at the Museum, and said that he would discuss his ideas 

 with Pasteur before handling the subject of fermentations. At 

 the end of January M. d'Arsonval alluded to these incomplete 

 revelations. "It is all in my head," said Claude Bernard, 

 "but I am too tired to explain it to you." He made the same 

 wearv answer two or three davs before his death. When he 

 succumbed, on February 10, 1878, Paul Bert, M. d'Arsonval 

 and M. Dastre thought it their duty to ascertain whether their 



