Louis Pasteur

(27.12.1822-28.09.1895)

The French chemist,
the greatest biologist of the nineteenth century

 Louis Pasteur was born on December 27,  1822 in Dole, France.

From his young years L.Pasteur was a talented artist, his portraits were so professional, that his name was listed in the compendiums of artists in XIX century. To the right: the portraits of his parents (by L.Pasteur).

Here we will only mention the main steps in his career, some of them marking the foundation of a new branch in science.

Studying the shapes of organic crystals he proved that they have 2 kinds of structure he called isomers and formulated the law: " Asymmetry differentiates the organic world from the mineral world" (that laid foundation of stereochemistry). The external shape of a crystal, its molecular composition and its action on polarized light are all linked. Polarized light is rotated by asymmetric crystals, not by crystals that have a plane of symmetry.

 Alcoholic Fermentation 1857

 Fermentation  is a biological phenomenon. Each type of wine fermentation is caused by a specific microorganism, which can be cultivated. (foundation of microbiology)

Also Pasteur found the main cause of economic losses in France wine industry, recommended the correct type of microorganism to be used in the winery (1864) and recommended to heat the wine up to 55 C killing the unwanted bacteria (process today known as Pasterization).

Pasteur against "Spontaneous Generation" 1860

Pasteur used the swan-neck flask, in which fermentable juice remained unchanged, after been heated and sealed. Experiments showed no life arising in organic materials ( no spontaneous generation!)

He also proved life can exist without oxygen, discovered anaerobic life

 Diseases of Silkworms 1865-1870

 healthy worms became infected when allowed to nest on leaves used by infected worms. He also noted that the susceptibility of the worms varied widely, some worms dying shortly after infection, some weeks later, some not at all.  Pasteur isolated bacilli of Pebrine and Flacherie, worked out hygienic rules for silkworm farmers.

The top of Pasteur's career were development of the germ theory of disease and the use of vaccines to prevent these diseases. Due to  Pasteur, Lister and other physicians antiseptic medicine and surgery became the rule.

"Chance favours only the prepared mind."
—Louis Pasteur

 Anthrax 1877-1881

Pasteur brought the sterilization method to medicine, discovered staphylococcus, streptococcus and pneumococcus  cause human illnesses.

Anthrax is transmitted from animals to humans, caused by bacillus anthracis discovered by R.Koch in 1876. Pasteur isolated the germs and started vaccinating sheep against anthrax, in 1879 - vaccinating chickens against Chicken Cholera

1879 -  discovery of immunization against disease using weakened bacteria.

 Rabies 1885

The final and certainly most famous success of Pasteur's research was the development of a vaccine against rabies or hydrophobia ....On July 6, 1885, 9 year old Joseph Meister was the first person to be successfully treated against rabies  with Pasteur's vaccine. After that  people started coming to Pasteur...

On the right : the group of Russian peasants from Smolensk, got bitten by the ill wolf. There was little hope for any success, because 12 days passed after the incident. But miraculously 16 person from 19 survived due to Pasteur's help.

Elie Metchnikoff, Russian scientist, who worked with Pasteur during his last years, called the victory against rabies "Pasteur's swan-song".

Foundation of the Pasteur Institute in Paris - 14 November 1888

Pasteur's popularity around the world was tremendous. Funds were raised in many countries to contribute the fight against rabies. The new  institute of microbiology was found and opened in 1988 in Paris.

Unfortunately, the state of health did not allow Pasteur to work in the laboratory as he used before. But the institute became the important center of microbiological studies, where a lot of talented scientists joined there to investigate viruses, contagious diseases, infectious agents and the means of immunization.

Louis Pasteur laid a foundation to the world microbiology school, a lot of his pupils became known scientists. There were tight connections between Russian scientists and his laboratory and later, with the  Institute.
 

 Ilie Metchnikoff worked in the Institute since 1887, when Louis Pasteur invited him to became a head of a new laboratory and later the vice-president of the Institute. In 1884 Metchnikoff created the theory of phagocytosis, that became the basis for immunology.  Metchnikoff  continued his studies of phagocytes in Pasteur's Institute, till his death in 1916. In 1908 his work was marked with the Nobel prize.

Another known Russian scientist, Sergei N. Vinogradski , was the head of bacteriological department of  the Institute in 1922-1953.
In 1890 - he discovered the phenomenon of chemosynthesis.
Vinogradski has founded the Microbiological Society in Russia, was the head of the Institute of experimental medicine in St.Petersburg in 1902-1905. His connections with IEM continued after he retired in 1912. He founded the new discipline - ecological microbiology. His achievements in science were so important, that in 1923 he was elected the honored academician of St. Petersburg's Academy of Science, while he was already in France, studying microbiology of soil in Pasteur's Institute.

Pasteur and Oldenburgsky.

Inauguration of the Institute of experimental medicine in St. Petersburg, Russia.

 The work of Louis Pasteur attracted a lot of interest in Russian scientists and physicians. The government raised 100 000 franks for the Pasteur's Institute and Russian scientists were able to learn the new methods in his laboratory. Among the first Russians to visit the Institute in Paris were  L.I.Voinov, S.N.Vinogradski, N.Gamaleya, C.Gelman, E.Zemmer, V.Kraushkin, N.Kruglevski, I.Metchnikoff, V.Podvisotski, E.Shperk.

In 1885 Prince Oldenburgsky was in command of a guards regiment. In November 1885 an officer of the regiment got bitten by a rabid dog. By the order of Oldenbyrgsky and to his expenses the officer was accompanied by doctor Krooglevsky to Pasteur, whom Prince personally knew. Krooglevsky also got the instructions to learn the methods of preparation of "rabid vaccines". Suffered officer had been cured. Doctor Krooglevsky returned to St.Petersburg with a present from Pasteur: 2 rabbits, infected with 115 and 116 generations of rabies viruses.
With the same purpose of dissemination of a new method of treatment, Oldenburgsky ordered doctor Gelman to undertake experiments with the rabid-infected rabbits. By the time of Krooglevsky's return to St-Petersburg from Paris in Gelman's laboratory there were 9 generations of rabies viruses. The special lab attached to the veterinary infirmary of house hold mounted regiment was organized. Passage of virus brought from Paris started June 13, 1886. One month later "The station of preventive treatment of hydrophobia by Pasteur's method" was officially opened.

 In 1888 the Pasteur Institute was opened in Paris. Soon Hygienic Institute of Health was organized in Germany under the direction of R.Koch. Prince Oldenburgsky decided to establish the same institution in Russia. He addressed Alexander III, who gave his approval on November 2, 1888. The new institute "similar to the Pasteur's institute in Paris " was organized attached to the Nurse Community of St. Trinity ( to which he was a trustee). As the Tsar gave his permission, but no money, Prince Alexander Petrovich bought a peace of land with several buildings on Aptekarsky island on his own means.

The main aim of the institute was to determine the causes of various infectious diseases and to work out new methods of their treatment. On December 8, 1890 the institute was consecrated and opened. It was given the name of "Imperial Institute of Experimental Medicine", Prince Oldenburgsky appointed a trustee.

Personal acquaintance with Pasteur helped Prince Oldenburgsky  with the organizing of the Institute of Experimental Medicine, which grew out from "Pasteur's station" in St. Petersburg.

Louis Pasteur and Alexander Oldenburgsky were in correspondence for several years. Five letters of  Louis Pasteur are kept by the library of IEM

Here are the first pages of 2 letters: in Pasteur's handwriting and the text

Pasteur's contribution to science is enormous. His studies started several new  branches of medicine, chemistry and biology: stereochemistry, microbiology, virology, immunology, bacteriology, vaccination and pasteurization. His works were marked with many awards of different academies and societies:

1853 awarded the Cross of the Legion of Honor

1862 elected to the Academy of Sciences

1867 awarded the Grand Prix Medal for Pasteurization method.
Appointed professor of chemistry of Sorbonne

1873 elected to the Academy of Medicine

1881 awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor

1882 elected to the Academie Francaise

in 1956 and 1874 - awarded 2 gold medals of the Royal Society of London

Louis Pasteur died on September, 28  1895 at Saint Cloud, near Paris.