Page 106 - Ethel D. Hume - Bešam ili Paster: Izgubljeno poglavlje u istoriji biologije

DISEASES OF SILK-WORMS 103

In the midst of his strenuous professorial duties and his
constant researches in other directions, Bechamp snatched
time to send up to the Academy fuller details of the disease
pebrine and measures for preventing it. His note was
entitled "On the Harmlessness of the Vapours of Creosote
in the Rearing of Silk-Worms." He repeated the pro-
nouncement he had made the previous year and clearly
—
stated: "The disease is parasiticaL Pebrine attacks the
worms at the start from the outside and the germs of the
parasite come from the air. The disease, in a word, is not
primarily constitutional." He went on to explain how he
developed the eggs, or, as they are called, the seeds, of the
silk-worms in an enclosure in which the odour of creosote
was produced from a very minute dose of the drug. The
eggs, thus hatched, were all free from pebrine. As Professor
Bechamp never committed himself to statements until he
had proof positive, we find in this verdict upon pebrine the
decisive clearness that characterises all his opinions.
Pasteur was still so much in the dark that he had not
even the acumen to gauge the correctness of the views of
the great teacher of Montpellier. But this Note of
Bechamp's was, no doubt, a trial to him. Here was
another worker pronouncing upon a subject that had been
officially relegated to him and hallowed by the blessing of
the beautiful Empress. Accordingly, on the 23rd July,
1866, Pasteur unburdened himself of a Statement to the
Academy of Science on the Nature of Pebrine. 1 It was
entitled "New Studies on the Disease of Silk-Worms."
And here we must look for the great discovery said to have
—
been provided by Pasteur for "the salvation of sericulture."
It was this: "The healthy moth is the moth free from cor-
puscles; the healthy seed is that derived from moths with-
out corpuscles." Such an obvious conclusion is laughable!
Still, as it could not be condemned as incorrect, it would
have been as well for Pasteur to have ventured no further.
Instead, he proceeded: "I am very much inclined to be-
lieve that there is no actual disease of silk-worms. I cannot
1
Comptes Rendus 63, p. 126-142.