320 THE LIFE OF PASTEUR 



" No doubt Colin is a man of some value, and he has cleverly 

 taken advantage of his position of Chief of the Anatomy depart- 

 ment at Alfort to accomplish some important labours. But it 

 is notable th#t his negative genius has ever led him to try and 

 demolish really great work. He denied Davaine, Marey, 

 Claude Bernard, Chauveau ; now he is going for Pasteur." 

 Bouley, to whom Colin was indebted for his situation at 

 Alfort, might have added, " And he calls me his persecutor ! " 

 But Biot refused to believe in Colin 's hostility and only credited 

 him with scruples on the question of experimental physiology. 

 Colin did not doubt M. Pasteur's bona fides, M. Biot said, but 

 only his aptitude to conduct experiments in anima vili. 



On May 31, every one was at the farm. M. Biot executed 

 Colin 's indications and shook the virulent tube with real 

 veterinary energy. He did more : still acting on advice from 

 Colin, who had told him that the effective virulence was in 

 direct proportion to the quantity injected, he asked that a 

 larger quantity of liquid than had been intended should be 

 inoculated into the animals. A triple dose was given. Other 

 veterinary surgeons desired that the virulent liquid should be 

 inoculated alternatively into vaccinated and unvaccinated 

 animals. Pasteur lent himself to these divers requests with 

 impassive indifference and without seeking for their motives. 



At half-past three everything was done, and a rendezvous 

 fixed for June 2 at the same place. The proportion between 

 believers and unbelievers was changing. Pasteur seemed so 

 sure of his ground that many were saying " He can surely not 

 be mistaken." One little group had that very morning drunk 

 to a fiasco. But, whether from a sly desire to witness a failure, 

 or from a generous wish to be present at the great scientific 

 victory, every man impatiently counted the hours of the two 

 following days. 



On June 4, Messrs. Chamberland and Koux went back to 

 Pouilly le Fort to judge of the condition of the patients. 

 Amongst the lot of unvaccinated sheep, several were standing 

 apart with drooping heads, refusing their food. A few of the 

 vaccinated subjects showed an increase of temperature ; one of 

 them even had 40 C. (104 Fahrenheit) ; one sheep presented 

 a slight oedema of which the point of inoculation was the 

 centre; one lamb was lame, another manifestly feverish, but 

 all, save one, had preserved their appetite. All the unvac- 

 cinated sheep were getting worse and worse. " In all of 



