142 LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 



Metchnikoff on his part never remained indifferent 

 to his pupils. His solicitude towards them was warm, 

 sometimes paternal, always ready and active. Many 

 of his pupils remained his friends and collaborators 

 for years afterwards. His fiery and exclusive tem- 

 perament, however, made him take up a very different 

 attitude in exceptional cases, when he found himself 

 in front of one who persisted in a path which Metchni- 

 koff himself considered the wrong path, or before an 

 action which he thought disloyal or work done with- 

 out conscience. Then he became beside himself, and 

 positively dangerous to those who had exposed them- 

 selves to the paroxysm of his indignation. 



Fortunately such cases were rare ; as a general 

 rule, the atmosphere of his laboratory was impregnated 

 with scientific spirit and ardour ; all forces in it con- 

 verged towards the same goal, being bound together 

 by a community of aspirations and activity of which 

 he was the soul. 



The first period of his life in France was taken up 

 by the strengthening and development of the phago- 

 cyte theory and by an eager struggle in its defence. 

 He displayed in it his full energy as a scientist and 

 a fighter, and this was perhaps the most agitated, 

 the most tense period of his life. 



When at last his theory was securely established 

 and began to be accepted, he continued his researches 

 with the same passionate ardour but in an atmosphere 

 of peace. It was joy and bliss to him to be able to 

 work apart from other preoccupations, and the years 

 of his life between fifty and sixty were the happiest 

 he ever had. 



The state of his soul and his ideas had considerably 



