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tions controlled the character of the fermentation, so that we ;
had alcoholic fermentation, fermentation producing acetic
acid, fermentation producing- lactic acid, and so on, these
being controlled by the peculiar character of the molecular
vibrations set up in the mass. This was at that time an estab-
lished theory, accounting for the characters of the decompo-

sitions, such as the fermentations, putrefactions, rotting, etc.,
and when Schwann undertook to explain these phenomena
by the claim that it was done by the life force acting through
these growths upon these substances he was ridiculed. So
the matter rested for a number of years, when Pasteur had
his attention attracted to it. Pasteur was a chemist, a
scientist, and especially a laboratory man—he was not a phy-
sician. He studied the fermentations and the accompani-
ments of the fermentations, and in this study he came to
similar conclusions to those announced by Schwann, and also
that not only alcoholic fermentation was produced by the
growth of an organism, but each of the fermentations were
produced by the growth of a special organism. During the
course of these studies Pasteur's attention was attracted to
a disease prevailing among the silk worms that threatened
the destruction of the silk industry of France. He undertook
the study of this disease and found that it was produced by a
fungus growth developing in the worm. This was one of the
lower forms of thread mold that had become parasitic upon
these silk worms and destroyed them by thousands. He
gave directions for avoiding them by selecting and segregat-
ing the healthy from the diseased w^orms and the avoiding of
the spores of this mold, and saved the silk industry of France.
After this, and almost coincident with it, Pasteur's attention
was again directed to a disease of the grape vine that was
threatening the destruction of the grape crops of France.
He studied that and found that it was a parasitic disease,
gave directions for its avoidance and saved the grape crops
of France. These studies gave Pasteur a great reputation
they attracted the attention of the world. He then entered
into discussion with Liebig in regard to the fermentations,
contending that all of these were produced by the life force
exhibited in the form of micro-org^anisms.
These debates between Pasteur and Liebig attracted
the attention of the scientific world. In following these, Mr.

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