Chapter - 4: Louis Pasteur, Conqueror of Disease

— By E.H. Carter

Comprehension Questions

I. Answer briefly the following questions.

1) “Louis Pasteur was not a soldier, but he was a fighter.” What does the statement mean?

Answer: Though Louis Pasteur did not join the army and become a soldier, he was a fighter because he fought various kinds of diseases through his discoveries about bacteria.

2) What are bacteria?

Answer: Bacteria are vegetable organisms – little rod shaped plants which exist in the air, water and soil, and in the bodies of animals and plants; some but not all are the causes of diseases; some convert matter into food for plants.

3) As a scientist, how was Louis Pasteur unique ?

Answer: Louis Pasteur not only made some exciting discoveries about germs but he was also able to use his discoveries in very practical ways. He could help many people running various industries in France.

4) How did Pasteur try to solve difficult problems?

Answer: Pasteur used to sit for hours, quite silent and motionless, thinking hard about the difficult problems.

5. What does this reveal about him as a person?

Answers: When he thought of a solution, his kind, a tired looking face would brighten with pleasure and excitement, and he would rush round to tell his discovery to his wife and to others who were helping him.

This shows that Pasteur was sincere about solving problems and was also very simple and child-like in sharing his discoveries with others.

6) What discoveries did Pasteur make about yeast?

Answer: Yeast is used to making the beer foam. Pasteur discovered that yeast was alive, made up of tiny living cells. When these cells were healthy, the yeast acted well, but if they were diseased, the yeast and the beer went wrong.

7) What does ‘spontaneous generation’ mean?

Answer: Some scientists believed in ‘spontaneous generation’, i.e., they believed that germs had no parents but just occurred by themselves.

8) Did Pasteur believe in Spontaneous generation? If not, what did he believe in?

Answer: Pasteur and some scientists like him believed that germs were carried in the air and might infect other things that came in contact with them.

9) In the statement, “Pasteur proved that he was right” (Para 9), What did he prove?

Answer: Pasteur proved that germs were carried in the air and might infect other things that came in contact with them.

10) In the second soup experiment (para 10) which soup was the worst, which was the best and which one was better?

Answer: In the second soup experiment, the bottles opened in the hotel bedroom were full of soup which had gone completely mouldy due to the presence of many germs; the bottles opened in the field were mouldy, but not quite so bad; those opened on the mountain had no germs in them at all. The last batch was the best, the first one was worst, and the second one better than the first one.

11) What is Pasteurization?

Answer: Pasteurization is the process of heating the wine or milk of any other liquid to a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees centigrade to make the germs harmless. Pasteurized milk is milk which has been treated in this way and then sealed to prevent more germs from entering.

12) Louis Pasteur Conqueror Of Disease Questions And Answers Pdf Question

12. The writer says,” It would be impossible to imagine Pasteur experimenting with explosives or poisonous gas” (para 13). What quality of Pasteur is highlighted here?

Answer: Pasteur’s love for mankind and his compassionate nature are highlighted in the sentence. He had no love for plain achievement, money or fame.

13) On what study did Pasteur spend all his time and energy for three years?

Answer: For three years, Pasteur spent all his time and energy in tracking down the cause of a disease which had ruined the silkworm industry.

14) How is vaccination different from inoculation?

Answer: Introducing live organisms into the body to generate immunity is vaccination (for viral diseases like small pox, rubella, chicken-pox, measles, tuberculosis) whereas introduction of weak or dead organisms into the body to produce immunity is called inoculation (for bacterial diseases like typhoid, diphtheria and cholera).

15) What made Pasteur believe that a cow could not have anthrax twice?

Answer: When Pasteur was trying to discover a cure for the terrible disease called ‘Anthrax’, he found out, first of all, that a cow could not have Anthrax twice.

16) What made many scientists angry? (para 16) Answer: Pasteur began to wonder whether it would not be possible to make a cow and even a man just a little ill with Anthrax so that they might not get it again. He thought that this could be done by giving the cows or sheep very weak old germs to make them safe or immune for the future. This idea of giving animals germs made many scientists angry.

17) What is rabies?

Answer: Rabies is a dangerous disease of dogs and other mammals, caused by a virus that can be transmitted through the saliva to humans, causing madness and convulsions.

18) How was Pasteur a better scientist than Jenner?

Answer: Although Dr. Jenner had already discovered how to vaccinate against smallpox, he did not really understand about bacteria. Pasteur after giving his life to this study was able to prove the value of inoculation and to find out ways of varying it for different diseases.

19) How was the very low death rate among the troops during the First World War a great tribute to Pasteur’s work?

Answer: During the First World War 1 (1914-1918), the troops going abroad were » inoculated against such diseases as typhoid and enteric fever, and the very low death-rate from this illness among v the troops, even in unhealthy places, was a great tribute to Pasteur’s work.

20) At the opening ceremony of Pasteur Institute in Paris, Pasteur talked about two opposing laws. Which are the two laws? Which one did he favor?

Answers: One law was a law of blood and death, opening out each day new methods of destruction, forcing nations to be always ready for the battle; I the second law was a law of peace, work, and health, whose only aim is to deliver f man from the disasters which surrounded I him. The first one seeks violent conquests, j the other relief of mankind. Pasteur favored the second law I of peace, work, and health because he was sure that science in obeying the law of humanity, will always labor to enlarge the frontiers of life.

21) What was his message to young students on the occasion of his 70th birthday celebration?

Answer: His message was: “First ask yourselves, ‘What have I done for my education?’ Then as you advance in life, What have I done for my country?’ so that someday that supreme happiness may come to you, the consciousness of having contributed in some measure to the progress and welfare of humanity.”

22) What is the supreme happiness he talks about?

Answer: He says supreme happiness is the result of the consciousness of having contributed in some measure to the progress and welfare of humanity.

23) Here are Louis Pasteur’s thoughts at various points in the lesson. Read the paragraphs mentioned against each and explain how he came to each conclusion. a. I am certain that yeast is alive, made up of tiny living cells (para 7) ______

Answer: While helping the brewer, Pasteur learned many things about yeast. He observed that yeast was alive, made up of tiny living cells. When these cells were healthy, the yeast acted well, but if they were diseased, the yeast and the beer went wrong. b. Germs are carried in the air and may ______ infect other things that came in contact ______ with them, (para 8, 9) Answer:

c. Pure air is different from stale air (para 10) ______

Answer: Pasteur filled some bottles with soup. He took some into a little hotel bedroom where the air was hardly ever changed, broke their necks off so that the air could enter freely, and after a few minutes sealed them up again. He then took’ some bottles into a field nearby and did the same with them. Finally, he opened some on the top of a high mountain and again sealed them up. When they were examined, the bottles opened in the hotel bedroom were full of soup which had gone completely moldy; the bottles opened in the field were moldy, but, not quite so bad; those opened on the mountain had no germs in them at all. d. Pasteurization makes the germs harmless, (para 12) ________

Answer: Pasteur showed that by heating the wine or milk or whatever it might be to a temperature of 50 or 60 degrees centigrade, the germs were made harmless.

II. Close Study: Read the following extracts carefully. Discuss in pairs and then write the answers to the questions given below them

1) ‘Do germs form from other germs, or do they just come of themselves?’ What did people like Pasteur actually believe about germs?

Answer: People like Pasteur believed that germs were carried in the air and might infect other things that came in contact with them.

b) Which of the two was called ‘spontaneous generation’?

Answer: Scientists other than Pasteur believed in ‘spontaneous generation’, i.e., they believed that germs had no parents but just occurred by themselves.

c) How did Pasteur prove that he was right?

Answer:

2) ‘If you can cure animals, you can cure my son’. What had Pasteur cured the animals off?

Answer: Pasteur had cured the animals of the terrible disease of Anthrax.

b) What was wrong with the ‘son’ referred to?

Answer: The boy was covered with bites from a mad dog and was sure to die. '

c) Did Pasteur cure the boy? How?

Answer: Pasteur inoculated the boy with some weak rabies germs and the boy recovered.

III. Paragraph Writing:

Discuss in pairs/groups of 4 each, the answers to the following questions. Individually, note down the important points for each question and then develop the points into one paragraph answers:

1) What was troubling the French wine-growers? How did Pasteur solve their problem? What is the name of the process which was the solution to the wine-growers?

Answer: French wine-growers troubled by a germ. Pasteur showed how to render these germs harmless. This process was called ‘Pasteurization’. Paragraph: Some French wine growers were troubled by a germ which had turned their wine sour. Pasteur showed that by heating the wine to a temperature of 50 or 60 degrees centigrade, the germs were made harmless. This process was called ‘Pasteurization’.

2) How did Pasteur develop the idea of immunity?

Answer: Pasteur busy in discovering cure of Anthrax. He found that a cow could not get it twice. He thought of giving weak old germs to make beings safe from Anthrax. Paragraph: Pasteur was trying to discover a cure for the terrible disease called Anthrax, which men sometimes get from infected shaving brushes, and which was attacking cows and sheep in France and killing them off very quickly. He found out first of all that a cow could not have anthrax twice. Then he began to wonder whether it would not be possible to make a cow and even a man just a little ill with anthrax so that they might not get it again. Perhaps this could be done by giving the cows or sheep very weak old germs to make them safe or ‘immune’ for the future.

3) What human qualities of Pasteur do you admire?

Answer: All of Pasteur’s work was meant to help human beings. He was genuinely interested in ’ others’ problems. He was child-like and simple by nature. Paragraph: Louis Pasteur was what we should call an ‘all round’ scientist. All the research which he did in his laboratories was meant to help his fellow human beings. It would be

4) “All the research which he did in his laboratories was meant to help his fellow human beings”. Elucidate.

Answer: Pasteur discovered many things about germs and also used that knowledge well. ‘ He worked hard in his laboratories to help people in specific problems. He discovered ‘inoculation’. Paragraph: Pasteur not only made some exciting discoveries about germs but he was also able to use his discoveries in very practical ways. He worked hard in his laboratory with test tubes and all kinds of experiments, but nearly all the time he was working to help people who were suffering in some special way from the disease. Among the people whom Pasteur was able to help were brewers, breeders of silk works, and cowkeepers, all of whom were trying to carry on important industries in France. He discovered ‘inoculation’ which provided immunity to people and animals against anthrax and also the dreaded disease, rabies.

5) What would have been the fate of humankind if Louis Pasteur had not discovered a vaccine against rabies?

Answer: Rabies is a dangerous disease. Many people used to die of rabies. Pasteur inoculated an infected boy. Paragraph: Rabies is a dangerous disease of dogs and other mammals, caused by a virus that can be transmitted through the saliva to humans, causing madness and convulsions. Many people used to die of rabies. Many others used to suffer from bites caused by a mad dog. Pasteur inoculated an infected boy with some weak rabies germs and the boy recovered. This turned the fate of rabies-infected people.

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