150 PASTEUR AND HYDROPHOBIA III 



in a normal healthy dog it produced rabies with an 

 incubation period of ten days. 



It is now twelve months since Joseph Meister was 

 bitten by the mad dog, and he is in perfect health. 

 Even if we set aside the original infection from the 

 mad dog, we have the immensely important fact that 

 he has been subjected to the inoculation of strong 

 rabid virus by M. Pasteur and has proved entirely 

 insusceptible to any injurious effects, such as it could 

 and did produce in a powerful dog. 



M. Pasteur now proceeded, immediately after 

 Meister's case, to apply his method to as many persons 

 as possible who had reason to believe that they had 

 been infected by the virus of a mad dog or other rabid 

 animal. It must be remembered that Pasteur does 

 not attempt to treat a case in which hydrophobia has 

 actually made its appearance, and that he would desire 

 to begin his treatment as soon after the infection or 

 bite as possible ; the later the date to which the treat- 

 ment is deferred, the less is the chance naturally 

 enough of its proving effective. He now omits the 

 first three inoculations of weakest quality used in the 

 case of Joseph Meister, and makes only ten inoculations 

 (beneath the skin on the abdomen), one every day for 

 ten days, the strength of the virus being increased as 

 above explained. Probably Pasteur is varying and 

 improving his method in regard to certain details. 

 He himself has made no statement of a conclusive 

 nature during the year. He is observing and collect- 

 ing his facts. But Dr. Grancher, who is at present 

 Pasteur's chief assistant in carrying on the inoculations 



