Louis Pasteur (1822–1895)
Outstanding scientist and opponent of evolution
by Ann Lamont
Each time we go to the refrigerator and take out a bottle of milk, we should be
reminded of the work of the outstanding French scientist, Louis Pasteur. Pasteur
discovered that milks turns sour because of the action of tiny living organisms
too small to see with the naked eye. He developed a process of gently heating foodstuffs
like milks to kill these organisms without changing the flavour or nutritional value.
This process, named ‘pasteurization’ in honour of its developer, is
just one of Pasteur’s great contributions to mankind.
Young Louis
Louis Pasteur was born on December 27, 1822, in the town of Dole, in eastern France,
about 400 kilometres south-east of Paris. Several years later, Louis’ family
moved to the nearby town of Arbois. Louis attended school in Arbois but he obtained
poor results except in art. Most of his teachers thought he would just leave school
and work in his father’s tannery. However, Louis had a great desire to increase
his knowledge. One of his teachers saw potential in his persistent and careful approach
to his work.
At 15 years of age, Louis went to Paris to complete his secondary schooling. He
was overcome by homesickness and returned to Arbois. He tried again, this time at
Besancon, only 40 kilometres from home. He was successful and went on to complete
a Bachelor of Science degree at the Royal College in Besancon in 1842.
Louis decided he wanted to attend the Ecole Normale in Paris, which trained teachers
for French colleges and universities. He passed the entrance examination in 1842,
but knew he could have achieved a higher standard. So he studied for another year
to improve his knowledge before entering the Ecole Normale. (This determination
to accept nothing less than his best effort characterized his work throughout his
career.) Louis studied chemistry at the Ecole Normale, receiving a Master of Science
degree in 1845.
Baffling Problem
He then began a doctoral degree at the same institution. His task was to solve a
difficult research problem of his own choosing. Pasteur decided to investigate the
structure of tartrate and paratartrate crystals and explain the differences between
them. This problem had baffled even the greatest chemists of that time.
He was fascinated by the intricate structure of the tiny crystals and ‘looked
upon them as direct evidence of the artistic expression of God the Creator.’1
He carefully observed the crystals under his microscope. His thorough organization
and attention to detail helped him to detect what others had missed—there
were actually two different types of paratartrate crystals, one being the mirror
image of the other. His slow and cautious approach, which had been mistaken for
lack of ability in his childhood, turned out to be one of Pasteur’s greatest
assets. Not only did he earn his higher degree, but he also became well known among
research scientists.
Pasteur became Professor of Chemistry at the University of Strasbourg and spent
the next five years teaching and doing research there. He also became happily married
and started a family.
New Branch of Science
At the age of 32, Pasteur accepted a challenge which changed the direction of his
research and teaching career. He was asked to go to Lille to set up an applied science
faculty which would train scientists to put their theoretical knowledge to work
to solve the practical scientific problems of industry and business. While the scientific
community was largely oriented towards theoretical investigations, Pasteur longed
to put to use the science he loved to benefit ordinary people. He eagerly accepted
this opportunity to change direction.
During the two years Pasteur spent establishing this new faculty of applied science,
he focused his own research efforts on the process of fermentation—the process
which is used to produce alcohol from sugar, but which also causes milk to go sour.
Most chemists believed that the chemicals present merely reacted together and could
not explain why the process sometimes produced unexpected results. Pasteur proved
that fermentation took place only when small living things called microbes were
present. If the right microbe was present, the desired result was obtained. If the
wrong microbe was present, the wrong substance was produced, such as sour milk or
bitter wine. Pasteur’s findings helped established a new branch of science—microbiology.
Challenge to Spontaneous Generation
In 1857, Pasteur returned to the Ecole Normale. This time he was not a student,
but was the Director of Scientific Studies. Here he continued his work on microbes.
The ancient Greeks had believed that small animals such as worms, mice, and maggots
sprang to life automatically from the non-living matter around (such as rotting
flour, a sweaty shirt, or decaying meat). This belief that living matter arose from
non-living material is called spontaneous generation. The idea of maggots’
coming spontaneously to life out of decaying meat was successfully challenged in
1668 by Italian biologist Francesco Redi. When he covered the meat with gauze to
prevent flies from laying their eggs on it, no maggots appeared in the meat. (The
maggots are actually the larvae which hatch from flies’ eggs.)
Long after the idea of spontaneous generation of maggots, mice and worms had been
generally discarded, scientists still clung to the idea of spontaneous generation
of microscopic animals. To disprove this idea also, Pasteur boiled some broth to
kill any microbes present. With special glassware, he allowed air to circulate over
the broth, but prevented microbes in the air from reaching the broth. As Pasteur
expected, no microbes appeared in the broth. Pasteur’s findings showed that
microbes were not spontaneously generated from the broth itself. Microbes would
only appear in the broth if they were allowed in with the air. He clearly showed
that even for microbes, life came only from life—‘Microscopic beings
must come into the world from parents similar to themselves.’2
Pasteur’s work should have dealt the death blow to the idea of spontaneous
generation. But spontaneous generation is an essential part of the theory of evolution.
Despite all the efforts of evolutionary scientists, not one observable case of spontaneous
generation has ever been found. Pasteur’s findings conflicted with the idea
of spontaneous generation (as do all scientific results since). Consequently, Louis
Pasteur was a strong opponent of Darwin’s theory.
Pasteurization
Pasteur now had a good theoretical understanding of microbes. He sought to apply
his findings to the practical problem of stopping wine from spoiling. As many families
depended on the wine industry for their livelihoods, and the French economy was
heavily dependent on wine exports, this was a big problem.
Pasteur achieved success by slightly modifying the process used with the broth.
Boiling the wine would alter its flavour. Therefore, Pasteur heated the wine enough
to kill most of the microbes present without altering the flavour. Chilling prevented
any microbes left from multiplying. (As with the broth, it was necessary to prevent
new microbes from entering from the air as well.) To his great delight, Pasteur
found that this process could also prevent milks from turning sour and preserve
many other foodstuffs as well.
If Louis Pasteur had chosen to patent this process, he would have become a rich
man. Instead, he chose to make his discovery freely available so that all could
benefit from it. His only reward was fame and recognition, with the new process
becoming known as ‘pasteurization’.
Helping the Silk Industry
Louis Pasteur was called on to help another group of French farmers when the silk
industry faced a crisis due to diseased eggs. He showed the farmers how they could
use a microscope to detect the diseased eggs. These eggs were then destroyed and
the disease eliminated in the silkworm nurseries. Pasteur received grateful thanks
from those whose livelihoods he had saved.
While solving this practical problem, Pasteur’s active mind was laying the
foundation for his next great theoretical advance—the idea that many diseases
in animals and man were the result of germs (harmful microbes) which enter the body
and multiply there.
Given Highest Award
While the French government honoured Pasteur with its highest award the Legion of
Honour—much of the medical profession still resisted his ideas. Some older
doctors seemed unable to cope with Pasteur’s forward thinking on germs and
vaccination. Others resented medical research being conducted by someone whose training
was in chemistry, not medicine. Eminent modern-day creation scientist, Dr Henry
Morris, believes that a large part of the opposition was a reaction to Pasteur’s
‘own opposition to spontaneous generation and to Darwinism.’3
Such opposition seems hard to understand considering that Pasteur is generally recognized
today as having made ‘the greatest contribution of any one man to the saving
of human lives’.4
Victory over Rabies
Undeterred by this opposition, Pasteur moved on to the next, and perhaps greatest,
step—diseases in humans. In 1882, he began studying rabies. This deadly disease
is contracted by being bitten by an infected animal, usually a dog or wolf.
Pasteur began his experiments using animals. He followed the same procedures as
before, but was hampered by the long delay of several weeks between the animal’s
being bitten and the germs’ reaching the brain. While this delay made research
time-consuming, it enabled a significant difference in treatment to be possible.
Previous vaccination work had required that the vaccine be given prior to exposure
to the disease. However, the delay in the rabies germs reaching the brain enabled
the rabies vaccine to be given after the bite had occurred. Therefore only those
who had been bitten by a rabid animal needed to be treated.
In 1885, a small boy who had been bitten by a rabid dog was brought to Pasteur.
Although he was not yet sure whether the treatment would work on humans, Pasteur
knew the boy would die without the vaccine. After several tense weeks of treatment
on the boy, it was clear that the rabies vaccine was a success.
In 1888, the Pasteur Institute was established in Paris to continue the fight against
diseases. Pasteur by then was almost 66 years old and in failing health. He served
largely in an advisory capacity while those whom he had trained took over responsibility
for continuing the research.
Trials in his Personal Life
Louis Pasteur’s personal life had been punctuated by sickness and tragedy.
Three of his five children died of childhood diseases. Also he had been brought
up with a sister left mentally retarded by a childhood disease. Rather than crush
his spirit, these tragedies spurred him on in his efforts to spare others the heartbreak
of losing their children to disease. His own life was touched by a brain hemorrhage
and several strokes which left him partially paralysed. His condition was often
made worse by overwork. Despite his great contributions to medicine, many doctors
and veterinarians strongly opposed—the very people who should have seen the
enormous potential of his work. Through all these trials, Pasteur was sustained
by his Christian faith.
Pasteur always worked for the benefit of others, not for praise or for financial
gain. However, he did not shun publicity as this was an important factor in gaining
recognition of his work.
He has been described as ‘a person of simplicity. He remained humble despite
the medals and honours.’5 Pasteur’s dedication and thoroughness
enabled him to make many great discoveries. He courageously broke new ground. However,
he was somewhat intolerant of opponents who rejected his work without evaluating
it properly.
Pasteur saw no conflict between science and Christianity. In fact, he believed that
‘science brings men nearer to God’.6 In his work as a scientist,
he perceived evidence of wisdom and design, not randomness and chaos. Pasteur stated
that: ‘The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the
Creator’.7
Louis Pasteur died on September 28, 1895, after a long and fruitful life. His contributions
to science were truly outstanding. His Christian faith sustained him through many
trials. He firmly believed in creation, and strongly opposed Darwin’s theory
of evolution because it did not fit well with scientific evidence.
References
- J.H. Tiner, Louis Pasteur—Founder of Modern Medicine, Mott Media,
Milford, Michigan, USA, 1990, p. 18.
- Louis Pasteur (quoted in Ref. 1, p. 63).
- H.M. Morris, Men of Science, Men of God, Master Books, El Cajon, California,
USA, 1999, p. 62.
- ibid, p. 62.
- Ref. 1, p. 146.
- Pasteur (quoted in Ref. 1, p. 90).
- Pasteur (quoted in Ref. 1, p. 75).
- Joseph Lister (quoted in Ref. 1, p. 111).
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