CH. xiii PASTEUR 315 



Pasteur's scientific enthusiasm, his devotion to the 

 cause of humanity, and the gentleness of his de- 

 meanour, were still unchanged. In the year 1886 I 

 was successful in obtaining the appointment of a 

 Government Commission for investigating and report- 

 ing on the efficacy of Pasteur's treatment of hydro- 

 phobia. Great opposition to his methods had arisen in 

 England from the class of people known as anti- 

 vivisectionists, and as all Pasteur's statements and 

 statistics were looked upon by such persons as totally 

 untrustworthy, it appeared to me important that 

 Englishmen of known position and character should 

 undertake the investigation of the subject. Mr. 

 Chamberlain, who was then the President of the Local 

 Government Board, gave me every assistance. The 

 Commission consisted of Sir Joseph (now Lord) Lister, 

 Sir James Paget, Professor Ray Lankester, and myself, 

 with Sir Victor Horsley as Secretary. We visited 

 Paris as well as the French provinces, and reported 

 fully on the whole subject, coming to the conclusion, 

 supported by distinct and irrefragable proof, that 

 Pasteur's treatment had been the means of saving a 

 large number of lives which otherwise would have 

 been sacrificed to a dreadful and torturing death. 

 And here I may parenthetically remark that the 

 gratification with which I look back on the work in 

 which I took part is greatly increased by the fact that 

 I then formed a friendship with Lord Lister which has 

 continued ever since. 



Being in Paris during the great Exhibition of 1889, 

 I learnt that the Princess of Wales and her daughters 

 were anxious to visit the Pasteur Institute, and as I 

 was well acquainted with the whole method of treat- 

 ment of hydrophobia, I thought that perhaps I might be 

 of service to her Royal Highness in explaining matters. 



