1 8 BACTERIA, YEASTS, AND MOLDS 



He supposed that the treatment would also work on a 

 human being. But his problem was far from solved. Con- 

 sider the difi&culties still ahead. Who would undergo the 

 risky experience of being vaccinated against rabies on the 

 bare chance that some day a mad dog might bite him? 

 Or if he had agreed to be vaccinated, would he let a mad 

 dog bite him so that Pasteur could test his theory ? Hardly ! 

 Pasteur's only hope of making the treatment a practical 

 success was the possibility that it would be effective if 

 applied after the bite. That seemed illogical; but the 

 long period which elapses between bite and appearance of 

 symptoms made him hope that such might be the case. 

 Fortunately his hope was justified, and the treatment to-day 

 is used in just that way. 



But Pasteur did not know the treatment would work if 

 applied after the bite, and the only way to find out was 

 to try it. To try it he had to apply it to some one who 

 had been bitten by a rabid dog, and the only way to 

 secure such a patient was to announce the treatment to 

 the world. He hated to do this, for he was afraid it would 

 prove a failure. But he announced it, and felt he had 

 staked his reputation on a very uncertain hope. To make 

 things even harder for a man of his sensitive nature, his 

 first patient was a little boy, who had perfect confidence 

 that the famous Pasteur would keep him from getting sick. 

 Pasteur had the boy live with him during the treatment, 

 and no patient was ever watched more closely. When the 

 time for the appearance of symptoms came around Pasteur 

 could hardly sleep, but was up at all hours to watch for 

 the slightest sign of sickness. By this time it was much 

 more than the success of his experiment and the effect of 



