LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 137 



Pasteur himself ever was most kind and helpful 

 to Metchnikofi. During the first years, when his 

 health still allowed it, he used often to come to the 

 laboratory, questioning Metchnikoff on his researches 

 with much interest and always warmly encouraging 

 him. He even attended assiduously his course of 

 lectures on inflammation. After his state of health 

 no longer allowed him to go out, Metchnikoff used 

 to visit him every day, and tried to cheer him by 

 talking to him of current researches. 



MM. Duclaux and Koux became his closest friends ; 

 they were at first brought together by scientific 

 interests and by questions concerning the Institute ; 

 but, gradually, personal sympathy grew up between 

 them, binding them by that solid bond which is made 

 up of daily occurrences, inducing respect, confidence, 

 and affection. Moreover, Metchnikofi felt the deepest 

 gratitude towards Pasteur and his collaborators, who 

 had given him the possibility of working in so favour- 

 able an atmosphere. 



From the very first, Pasteur sympathised with the 

 phagocyte theory ; the other members of the Institute 

 thought it too biological, almost vitalistic. But when 

 they had made themselves thoroughly cognisant with 

 it, they also adopted it. Thus, having found in the 

 Pasteur Institute not only favourable working condi- 

 tions but also moral support, Metchnikoff became 

 deeply attached to it, and the interests of " the House " 

 became his. 



In 1915, on the occasion of Metchnikoff's seventieth 

 anniversary, M. Koux, in a Jubilee speech, gave of 

 him and of his work the following appreciation which 

 describes, better than anything I could say, what hia 

 part was in the Pasteur Institute : 



