THE LIFE OF PASTEUR 



vexing change of opinion." And he concluded as follows : 

 " However violent your attacks, Sir, they will not hinder the 

 success of the method of attenuated virus. I am confidently 

 awaiting the consequences which it holds in reserve to help 

 humanity in its struggle against the diseases which assault it." 



This debate was hardly concluded when new polemics arose 

 at the Academic de Me"decine. A new treatment of typhoid 

 fever was under discussion. 



In 1870, M. Glnard, a Lyons medical student, who had 

 enlisted, was, with many others, taken to Stettin as prisoner 

 of war. A German physician, Dr. Brand, moved with com- 

 passion by the sufferings of the vanquished French soldiers, 

 showed them great kindness and devotion. The French 

 student attached himself to him, helped him with his work, 

 and saw him treat typhoid fever with success by baths at 20 C. 

 Brand prided himself on this cold-bath treatment, which pro- 

 duced numerous cures. M. Glenard, on his return to Lyons, 

 remembering with confidence this method of which he had seen 

 the excellent results, persuaded the physician of the Croix 

 Kousse hospital, where he resided, to attempt the same treat- 

 ment. This was done for ten years, and nearly all the Lyons 

 practitioners became convinced that Brand's method was 

 efficacious. M. Glenard came to Paris and read to the 

 Academy of Medicine a paper on the cold-bath treatment of 

 typhoid fever. The Academy appointed a commission, com- 

 posed of civil and military physicians, and the discussion was 

 opened. 



The oratorical display which had struck Pasteur when he 

 first came to the Acade"mie de Me"decine was much to the fore 

 on that occasion ; the merely curious hearers of that discussion 

 had an opportunity of enjoying medical eloquence, besides 

 acquiring information on the new treatment of typhoid fever. 

 There were some vehement denunciations of the microbe which 

 was suspected in typhoid fever. ' You aim at the microbe and 

 you bring down the patient! " exclaimed one of the orators, 

 who added, amidst great applause, that it was time " to offer 

 an impassable barrier to such adventurous boldness and thus 

 to preserve patients from the unforeseen dangers of that 

 therapeutic whirlwind ! ' ' 



Another orator took up a lighter tone : "I do not much 

 believe in that invasion of parasites which threatens us like 

 an eleventh plague of Egypt," said M. Peter. And attacking 



