1882—1884 151 



him. He allowed himself to be persuaded, and arrived, accom- 

 panied as usual by his family. 



The Mayor, surrounded by the municipal councillors, greeted 

 him in these words : " Our town of Aurillac is very small, and 

 you will not find here the brilliant population which inhabits 

 great cities ; but you will find minds capable of understand- 

 ing the scientific and humanitarian mission which you have so 

 generously undertaken. You will also find hearts capable of 

 appreciating your benefits and of preserving the memory of 

 them ; your name has been on all our lips for a long time." 



Pasteur, visiting that local exhibition, did not resemble the 

 official personages who listen wearily to the details given them 

 by a staff of functionaries. He thought but of acquiring know- 

 ledge, going straight to this or that exhibitor and questioning 

 him, not with perfunctory politeness, but with a real desire 

 for practical information ; no detail seemed to him insignificant. 

 " Nothing should be neglected," he said ; " and a remark from 

 a rough labourer who does well what he has to do is infinitely 

 precious." 



After visiting the products and agricultural implements, 

 Pasteur was met in the street by a peasant who stopped and 

 waved his large hat, shouting, "Long live Pasteur!" . . . 

 " You have saved my cattle," continued the man, coming up 

 to shake hands with him. 



Physicians in their turn desired to celebrate and to honour him 

 who, though not a physician, had rendered such service to 

 medicine. Thirty-two of them assembled to drink his health. 

 The head physician of the Aurillac Hospital, Dr. Fleys, said in 

 proposing the toast : " What the mechanism of the heavens 

 owes to Newton, chemistry to Lavoisier, geology to Cuvier, 

 general anatomy to Bichat, physiology to Claude Bernard,* 

 pathology and hygiene will owe to Pasteur. Unite with me, 

 dear colleagues, and let us drink to the fame of the illustrious 

 Pasteur, the precursor of the medicine of the future, a bene- 

 factor to humanity." 



This glorious title was now associated with his name. In the 

 first rank of his enthusiastic admirers came the scientists, who, 

 from the point of view of pure science, admired the achieve- 

 ments, within those thirty-five years, of that great man whose 

 perseverance equalled his penetration. Then came the manu- 

 facturers, the sericicultors, and the agricultors, who owed their 



