AMERICA'S INFERIOR POSITION 



way, indebted to Pasteur, and there was hardly a 

 humble home in France from which a slender sub- 

 scription did not come. The Institute was the 

 result. 



Thanks to the munificence of the Baroness 

 Hirsch, a new building has been recently completed, 

 devoted wholly to biological chemistry and doub- 

 ling the capacity of the institution. Workers come 

 there now from every part of the earth. Show that 

 you have a work to do, and all the resources of the 

 most perfectly equipped laboratory, all the aids of 

 modern technical and scientific instruments grown 

 exceeding complicated now and expensive are at 

 your disposal. 



It would be strange if such an institution did not 

 yield rich fruit, and under the guidance of the pres- 

 ent director, M. Duclaux, aided by men of splendid 

 talent, like Roux, Chamberlain, Metchnikoff, Ga- 

 briel Bertrand, Maze", and many others, a great 

 work is being done. The whole theory of fermenta- 

 tion, and the varied r61e of the ferments in every 

 phase of animal and vegetable life, as well as in 

 many industries, is being worked out. So far do 

 its labors extend that very recently, under Metch- 

 nikoff and his special aids, the senility of the cells 

 and the causes of old age are being investigated. 

 Perhaps we may look forward to the day when we 

 shall find agents able to counteract the growing 



347 



