10 
Transactions Texas Academy of Science. 
attributes the real origin of the science of bacteriology to the investiga- 
tions of Pasteur and said, in part, that “he brought to the study of all 
the problems I have enumerated — and I hardly need remind you that 
among them are some of the most elusive, some of the most profound, 
and some of the most intensely practical problems in all the field of 
natural knowledge — a thorough working familiarity with physics and 
chemistry. Though not exactly a chemist, he was able to meet chemists 
upon their own ground. Though not exactly a microscopist he was 
highly trained in physics and mineralogy, and thus quickly became a 
master of the microscope.” 
Pasteur not only confirmed Schwann’s theory of fermentation but 
proved that all decomposition and decay in nature is due to slow fer- 
mentation or putrefaction. Going further, he proved that for each par- 
ticular fermentation there was a specific or characteristic ferment. 
Pasteur thus led up to the germ theory of disease and his work, together 
with the researches of a number of later investigators, has led to the 
identification of the specific bacteria of many forms of disease. Not only 
have these discoveries led to radical changes in medical practice, but have 
similarly affected matters pertaining to sewage purification and water 
supply engineering. Growing from its fruitful beginnings in pure sci- 
ence, bacteriology has attained its highest development and produced 
its richest results under the care and culture of science as represented by 
the medical profession and the sanitary engineer; has made possible the 
more successful combat of disease ; and has opened up to the mind of 
man a clearer conception of some of the secrets of nature. The achro- 
matic microscope has been the chief instrument of the bacteriologist, 
being to him what the telescope is to the astronomer. 
It is our pride, as Americans, to point to the phenomenal progress in 
material advancement that has been made by the United States, and few, 
if any, fail to credit this to fruitful results of invention and applied 
science generally. The applications have reached into all the ramifica- 
tions of human industry— each advance in science being the means of 
achieving greater results with smaller expenditure of energy. In manu- 
facture, in engineering, in the application of machinery to agriculture, 
we may trace applied science all along the line, with the result that the 
total wealth of the country has steadily increased. During the forty 
years preceding 1895 rural wealth was said to have quadrupled and 
urban wealth to have increased sixteen-fold in the United States, the 
latter due largely to manufacture, and both being heavily indebted to 
transportation. The applications of machinery and improvement in 
farm methods also contributed their part to the advance. It was stated 
at that time (1895) that one farm hand in the United -States would pro- 
duce as much wheat as three in England, four in France, five in Ger- 
many and six in Austria, the advantage of the American being due 
