140 THE LIFE OF PASTEUR 



when you have mastered the one or two lame facts which still 

 stand in the way. As a citizen, as head of the University, 

 and, if I may say so, as your friend, I wish I could follow 

 your experiments day by day. 



' You know that I should like to found a special college at 

 Alais. Please watch for any useful information on that subject. 

 We will talk about it on your return. 



" I am obliged to M. Gernez for his assiduous and intelligent 

 collaboration with you." 



This letter from the great Minister is all the more interest- 

 ing that it is dated from the eve of the day when the law on 

 the reorganization of primary teaching was promulgated. 



The introduction into the curriculum of historical and 

 geographical notions; the inauguration of 10,000 schools and 

 30,000 adult classes ; the transformation of certain flagging 

 classical colleges into technical training schools ; a constant 

 struggle to include the teaching of girls in University organiza- 

 tion ; reforms and improvements in general teaching ; the build- 

 ing of laboratories, etc., etc. — into the accomplishment of all 

 these projects Duruy carried his bold and methodical activity. 

 No one was more suited than he to the planning out of a 

 complete system of national education. He and Pasteur were 

 indeed fitted to understand each other, for each had in the same 

 degree those three forms of patriotism : love for the land, 

 memories for the past, and hero worship. 



In May, 1867, Pasteur received at Alais the news that a 

 grand prize medal of the 1867 exhibition was conferred upon 

 him for his works on wines. He hastened to write to Dumas — 



' My dear master, . . . Nothing has surprised me more — 

 or so agreeably, — than the news of this Exhibition prize medal, 

 which I was far from expecting. It is a new proof of your 

 kindness, for I feel sure that I have to thank you for originat- 

 ing such a favour. I shall do all I can to make myself worthy 

 of it by my perseverance in putting all difficulties aside from 

 the subject I am now engaged in, and in which the light is 

 growing brighter every day. If that flachery disease had not 

 come to complicate matters, everything would be well by now. 

 I cannot tell you how absolutely sure I now feel of my con- 

 clusions concerning the corpuscle disease. I could say a great 

 deal about the articles of Messrs. Bechamp, Estor and Bal- 

 biani, but I will follow your advice and answer nothing ..." 



Dumas had been advising Pasteur not to waste his time by 



