A LABORIOUS YOUTH 41 



symmetry, and took up and solved the problem 

 of dissymmetry in cellular life. 



Pasteur continued to address memoranda to 

 the Academy of Sciences, and the learned world 

 began to be stirred by these communications, 

 which proved him to be an investigator en- 

 dowed with genius. The most celebrated mem- 

 bers of the Institute followed his progress with 

 sympathetic interest, men such as Dumas, 

 whom as a young student he could not hear 

 lecture at the Sorbonne without emotion, Biot, 

 Balard, Regnault, and Senarmont; and it oc- 

 curred to them to elect him as corresponding 

 member of the Academy of Sciences. During 

 a visit of the illustrious scientist, Metscher- 

 lich, to Paris, Louis Pasteur had the pleasure 

 of showing the results he had obtained to the 

 German crystalographer, who thanked and con- 

 gratulated him, and informed him that the ex- 

 tremely rare racemic acid was still manufac- 

 tured in Germany. At this news Pasteur's zeal 

 caught fire, and, since it was vacation time, he 

 set forth, in September, 1852, on the pursuit of 



