Page 41 - Ethel D. Hume - Bešam ili Paster: Izgubljeno poglavlje u istoriji biologije

BfiGHAMP OR PASTEUR?
3*
this to overthrow the general belief in spontaneous genera-
tion. But, in fairness, we must not overlook a note that he
added to the full edition of his Memoir, as we find it in the
1
Annates de Chimie et de Physique. Before this account ap-
peared in April, 1858, Professor Bechamp, as we shall
find, had provided the French Academy of Science with
an illuminating explanation of the origin of ferments. In
face of Bechamp's irrefutable views, Pasteur may have
thought it only wise to add a proviso to a Memoir that
from start to finish has no solution whatever to offer as to
the appearance of moulds except a spontaneous origin.
Therefore, by the sentence "it (lactic-yeast) takes birth
spontaneously as easily as beer-yeast," we see a star and
looking below find a foot-note, in which he says he uses
the word "spontaneously" as "the expression of a fact,"
but reserves the question of spontaneous generation. 2
Certainly any denial of it is completely excluded from this
Memoir with its assertion of the spontaneous appearance
of beer-yeast and "lactic-yeast." Where Pasteur differed
from other Sponteparists was in omitting to attempt any
explanation of such a marvel.
His followers, ignoring the confusion of his views, have
seized upon the concluding statement in this same memoir
as a triumphant vindication of the correctness of his teach-
—
ing, since he said: "Fermentation shows itself to be cor-
relative of life, of the organisation of globules, not of the
death and putrefaction of these globules, still more that it
3
does not appear as a phenomenon of contact." But this
was only what others had said and had gone some way to
prove years before him. So devoid was he of proof that he
had to make the following admission in regard to his
hypothesis that "the new yeast is organised, that it is a
living being," namely:—"If anyone tells me that in these
conclusions I am going beyond facts, I reply that this is
1
A. de Ch. et de Ph. $6 sirie, 52, p. 413.
2 "
Je me sers de ce mot comme expression du fait, en riservant completement la
question de la giniration spontank"
3
ibid. p. 418.