Abstract
DR. RENAUD SUZOR is tha delegate commissioned by the Government of the colony of Mauritius to come to Europe to study M. Pasteur's treatment of hydrophobia, and this volume is the result of his mission. It is greatly to the credit of Sir John Pope Hennessy, the Governor of that colony, and of the members of the Legislative Council, that they perceived the value to science and humanity of adequately studying M. Pasteur's recent discoveries on the subject of hydrophobia, and that they “unanimously voted” the appointment of a delegate to proceed to Paris to work under the distinguished discoverer. It is to be hoped that other and more prominent colonies may be led to follow this excellent example. This little volume amply justifies the selection of Dr. Suzor as delegate. It opens with an historical account of hydrophobia and its treatment from the earliest times—for this dreadful disease has been known and studied for more than 2000 years—down to the end of 1880. The second and principal part of the volume is occupied by translations of all M. Pasteur's communications on the subject to the Academy of Sciences, beginning with his first note in January 1881, and ending with a lengthy paper presented in November 1886. Finally, there is a description of the technique of M. Pasteur's method. The book is valuable as a clear and comparatively untechnical exposition of the Pasteur method; but it is still more valuable as an example of the manner in which Pasteur's wonderful discovery should be met and treated by Governments and others in authority, who are responsible for the prevention, as far as possible, of disease amongst the populations which they govern. The Governor of Mauritius has taken care that the neglect of this primary duty, in relation at least to hydrophobia, cannot be laid to his charge.
Hydrophobia: An Account of M. Pasteur's System.
By Renaud Suzor. (London: Chatto and Windus, 1887.)
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[Book Reviews]. Nature 36, 482 (1887). https://doi.org/10.1038/036482b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/036482b0