Page 12 - Ethel D. Hume - Bešam ili Paster: Izgubljeno poglavlje u istoriji biologije

PREFACE
Many years ago, in New York, Dr. Montague R. Lever-
son chanced to come upon the writings of Pierre Jacques
Antoine Bechamp. So greatly did he become imbued with
the views of the French Professor, that he seized the first
opportunity to travel to Paris for the purpose of making
the latter's acquaintance. He was fortunate enough to
arrive some months before the death of the great scientist
and to receive from him in person an account of his dis-
coveries and his criticisms of science, ancient and modern.
Henceforward it became the dearest wish of Dr. Lever-
son to place the case of Professor Bechamp, especially in
regard to his relations with Pasteur, before the scientific
world. Unable, owing to his great age, to carry out this
project, the present writer, author of a short treatise on
Bechamp, Life's Primal Architects, which originally ap-
peared in The Forum, was pressed to undertake the work.
Its aim is to arouse the interest of those more qualified to
do justice to the memory of a genius, whose disadvantage
it was to have lived far ahead of the scientific thought of
his own day. For all deficiency in this presentment of his
teachings, it is begged that the writer may be blamed and
not the doctrines of the great teacher, to whose original
works it is strongly urged that the reader should turn.
It only remains to mention those whose help has been of
the greatest service. It is deeply to be regretted that the
late Mr. R. A. Streatfeild, of the Department of Printed
Books in the British Museum, is no longer here to receive
the thanks so justly his due. These are most cordially
rendered to Mr. L. H. E. Taylor, ofthe same Department,
and to all the officials of the North Library for constant
kindness and courtesy and for the facilities so generously
afforded for research work. To M. Edouard Gasser, the
son-in-law of Professor Bechamp, great indebtedness must
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