LIFE OF ELIE METCHNIKOFF 229 



mystical and pessimistic in his youth, had acquired 

 in his maturity a far more optimistic conception of 

 life. He himself explained this change by the 

 influence of circumstances, but Metchnikofi saw in 

 it a deeper cause, connected with the progressive 

 evolution of the vital instinct which, by bringing 

 equilibrium with it, suggests optimism. The study 

 of Maeterlinck's works confirmed his opinion. 



Time flowed peacefully between rest and these 

 occupations ; at the end of the holidays, we con- 

 gratulated ourselves on their result on my husband's 

 health ; on our return, his friends thought him looking 

 well. Yet on the 19th October, about seven in the 

 morning, he had a terrible cardiac attack without 

 any apparent cause. I found him seated at his desk, 

 and was terrified by his appearance ; his lips were 

 blue, and he was breathing with difficulty. And yet 

 he was writing, and this is what he was writing : 



StVBBS, 19th October 1913, 7.45 a.m. 



This morning, after a good night, my heart was working 

 well ; I had from 58 to 59 regular pulsations. But, as I rose, 

 1 suddenly felt acute pain along the sternum ; at the same 

 time began a strong crisis of tachycardia. I had never in my 

 life felt anything like it. . . . 



Here he had to stop as the crisis was becoming 

 intolerable, but a few hours later he took up his pen 

 again: 



19th October, 3 p.m. 



The crisis lasted till one o'clock (six hours' duration). 



There were times when the pain in the chest was unen- 

 durable. 



I was thirsty and drank hot, weak tea ; I vomited ; I felt 

 wind ia the stomach and the intestine. About noon the 

 pain decreased, but the heart-beats were frequent and extremely 



