40 PATHFINDERS OF PHYSIOLOGY 



led him to conclude that C was rapidly poisonous to animals owing 

 to the fact that it instantly displaced the oxygen of the red corpuscle 

 and could not itself be subsequently displaced by oxygen. The animal 

 died because the red corpuscles were, so to speak, paralyzed and cir- 

 culated as inert bodies devoid of the power of sustaining life. 



A Friend of Pasteur — It is interesting to note that at a time 

 when physiological opinion favored spontaneous generation, vitalism 

 and such theories, the independent mind of Claude Bernard foresaw 

 what subsequent decades of physiological research have found to ap- 

 proximate the truth on such subjects. He was a firm friend of Pas- 

 teur, whom he ably seconded in his efforts to disprove spontaneous 

 generation. 



A man is great in proportion to the obstacles he is able to sur- 

 mount. The subject of this paper illustrates the truth that one who 

 possesses in a high degree the qualities of genius will succeed in spite 

 of his surroundings. His early education, neither adequate nor con- 

 ducive of the best, together with the keen struggle for a livelihood, 

 and in his early career, the apathy of an unappreciative age and labor- 

 atories with meagre equipment, were obstacles which bring into relief 

 the rare qualities that he possessed. Contrast such a condition with 

 the magnificent equipment and endowment of modern scientific re- 

 search and the facilities for training as they exist today ! 



Bernard's life was far from being strewn with roses. He was mar- 

 ried to a wife who was non-appreciative of his genius. She saw noth- 

 ing in what to her was empty honor, the homage of the scientific 

 world, when the means which make for affluence were not forthcom- 

 ing. His two daughters became estranged from him and it is said 

 that one of them who was still living within the last ten years, joined 

 that silly sentimental class of antivivisectionists and endowed hos- 

 pitals for dogs and cats to atone for the crimes of vivisection which 

 her father had committed. Not only lacked he the sympathy which 

 "in true marriage lies," but he began his work at a time when the 

 physiologist had need of a "real passion for his science and in order to 

 ward off fatal discouragement had to possess his soul of high courage 

 and great patience. So soon as the experimental physiologist was dis- 

 covered he was denounced ; he was given over to the reproaches of his 

 neighborhood and subjected to the annoyance of the police;" Bernard 

 suffered all this. 



But conscientious work well performed is not without its rewards 

 and perhaps the greatest is the satisfaction of "something attempted, 

 something done." He was a greater man than Majendie, whose re- 

 searches were made more or less at random and who had described 

 himself as a "rag picker by the dust heap of science." Bernard always 

 made his experiments with a definiteness of purpose. His contribu- 

 tions to physiology have been greater in number and importance than 

 those of any other investigator. Later in life he enlisted the friena- 

 ship of Emperor Napoleon UI., which resulted in two well equipped 

 laboratories which greatly facilitated his work. His academic oppor- 

 tunities included professorships in the College of France as well as a 

 chair at the Sorbonne. In 1868, he was admitted to the Academy of 

 France and made one of the "Immortals." 



