CHAPTER IV 



FOR THE NATIONAL WEALTH 



THE campaign which Pasteur was conduct- 

 ing against spontaneous generation did 

 not absorb his entire activity. He pursued his 

 studies of fermentation, striving to penetrate 

 the secrets of the infinitely small, the yeasts, 

 the vibrions, the infusoria, that whole disquiet- 

 ing world, the universal and formidable activity 

 of which was not even yet suspected. Perhaps 

 he already discerned, although only vaguely, 

 their presence in human diseases, and this was 

 the object of his researches and profound med- 

 itations. 



Pasteur used to arrive at his laboratory, 

 walking slowly, sunk in thought, and with his 

 forehead lined with care. He gave orders to his 

 assistants, pointing out the experiments which 



71 



