LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 249 



loved one of his god-daughters, little Lili ; he had 

 become attached to the child on account of her kind 

 heart and exceptional sweetness, and also because, 

 from the cradle, she had shown a marked preference 

 for him. And yet his love for children was not to 

 him a source of joy, for anxiety on their account pre- 

 dominated over other feelings. 



In spite of the physical change which had super- 

 vened, his brain continued to work untiringly as in 

 the past, and he tackled new problems with youthful 

 courage and boldness. He had planned a work on 

 the sexual question, which, according to him, was 

 treated erroneously, with the result that grave dis- 

 harmonies occurred in human existence. 



Thus he reached some quite revolutionary con- 

 clusions respecting education and marriage. He 

 thought that morality should be set upon a quite 

 different basis, new and rational ; and that was the 

 question which he prepared to treat. 



The 16th of May of that year was his seventieth 

 anniversary. 



His satisfaction was great at having reached the 

 normal limit of age, for he saw in that a conclusive 

 proof of the efficacy of his hygiene. Indeed, he 

 showed on that day a sort of rejuvenation : his aspect 

 was quite different, he was gay and animated as he 

 had not been for a long time. 



The Pasteur Institute celebrated his jubilee. In 

 spite of the absence from " The House " of many 

 members on account of the war, the library filled with 

 people, and the fete had a cordial and intimate 

 character. Dr. Roux's speech * will remain the best 

 description of E. Metchnikoff and of his scientific 



1 Annales de I'lnstitut Pasteur, Jubile d'E. Metchnikoff, 1915. 



