154 PASTEUK AND HYDROPHOBIA III 



Pasteur is still observing : he himself has not pro- 

 nounced his method to be final, nor that its efficacy is 

 actually so great as the figures above given would seem 

 to indicate. Time will show ; meanwhile it is clear 

 that the treatment is in itself harmless, and gives 

 such reasonable hope of benefit that the great experi- 

 menter is abundantly justified in allowing its fame to 

 be spread through all lands, in order that it may be 

 tried on as large a number of unfortunate victims of 

 dog-bite as possible. It is also clear that there is not 

 the slightest warrant for those who would pronounce 

 an adverse judgment on Pasteur's treatment and com- 

 pare him to the quacks who deal in "faith-healing " and 

 such like methods. 



What is above all things desirable at the present 

 moment is, that thorough and extended researches 

 should be made by independent scientific experts in 

 this country on the lines travelled over by M. Pasteur. 

 This, alas ! is impossible. Our laws place such im- 

 pediments in the way of experiments upon animals, 

 that even a rich man, were he capable, could not obtain 

 the licenses necessary for the inquiry ; and secondly, 

 the men who are most likely to be capable of inquiring 

 into the matter are not in a position to give up the 

 whole of their time to it, and to pay competent assist- 

 ants. No one in this country is given a salary by 

 the State, and provided with laboratory and assistants, 

 for the purpose of making such new knowledge as that 

 by which Pasteur has brought the highest honour to 

 France and inestimable blessing to mankind at large. 

 On the other hand, it is in consequence and as the 



