The Story of Louis Pasteur

'Doctor, your carriage is waiting.'

Alright, alright. One moment.

- Dr. Francois? - Yes?

- Murder? - No, justice!

In what way did he wrong you?

He killed my wife!

With his very hands.

He gave her fever.

Childbed fever.

But you can't blame a doctor for that.

Here. Read this.

"Louis Pasteur?"

Now who is he?

He is a menace to science.

The shooting of Dr. Francois proves it.

Now, monsieur

if Pasteur is allowed to continue

he will make the practice of medicine unsafe

for us physicians and surgeons of France.

You have all read the pamphlet.

- Louis Pasteur? - He isn't even a doctor, sire.

- He's a mere chemist. - A chemist? You don't say.

You remember a few years ago he was the cause

of a slight controversy on the subject of sour wine.

Oh, yes. I recall.

He claimed to have found little animals in it.

'Infinitesimal beasts.'

But are there such creatures? Do they really exist?

Your majesty, microscopic organisms

have long been observed.

They spring into being of their own accord.

Wherever there is putrid matter or fermentation.

They are the result rather than the cause of disease.

By heating wine to certain temperatures.

Monsieur Pasteur was able to destroy them.

I presume he plans to cure blood poisoning

in the same manner.

Namely by boiling our blood.

Heaven forbid.

It's not unlikely I assure you.

But I won't have it, Charbonnet.

I won't tolerate such practices.

We're not living in the middle ages.

This is France. Paris.

The nineteenth century.

I think Monsieur Pasteur

should be allowed to defend himself.

But, your majesty..

I too have read the pamphlets, Dr. Charbonnet.

It said nothing about boiling blood.

Merely to boil the instruments that you surgeons use.

Your Majesty, if I did anything so absurd

as to boil my instruments or scrub my hands

they'd think I was a witchdoctor resorting to charms

and laugh me out of the hospital.

That would be a novelty, monsieur.

Most people who go to hospitals are carried out.

Dead.

Yes, Charbonnet. Why?

'Because our criminal disregarded germs'

'and their power to invade the bloodstream'

is causing a death rate in childbirth alone

of three out of every ten mothers.

Or in the city of Paris over 20,000 innocent

and helpless women annually.

This being the case, gentlemen

I leave it to you to decide.

Which of us should be called murderer.

I know what they'll say to that.

"Give us proof."

Proof.

As if the dead and dying

weren't proof enough for their stupidity.

But, Louis

you can't be sure.

You haven't found the germ.

- Roux? - Yes.

How about those slides. Do they show anything?

Fifty eight tests. All negative.

- And yours? - Here's one.

With a few short chains.

Ah, let me see it.

'Mm-hm.'

According to Semmelweis

there has never been a case of child bed fever

unless the doctor or midwife had been in recent contact

with another victim of the disease.

What luck?

Nothing definite.

- Try again. - Again?

Yes, again, again and again.

Remember our aim.

Find the microbe.

Kill the microbe.

- Mother? - 'Yes, Annette?'

There's someone at the door.

- Who is it? - I don't know. I didn't look.

Service of His Majesty, the Emperor of France.

A letter for Monsieur Pasteur.

He isn't here, monsieur.

'No? Then who is that?'

Monsieur Pasteur.

'The Emperor?'

'If I could only convince him.'

No, no, no, no, thank you.

Now, Annette, we must hurry and get the surprise ready.

- Can I help? - We'll all help, darling.

This isn't the palace.

Excuse me stopping, monsieur.

One moment.

My wife is very sick.

The doctor warned me.

Louise!

You could have done nothing, doctor.

She's been in a coma for two days.

- Childbed fever? - No doubt.

Uh, a pity.

It was an act of providence.

Providence?

No, ignorance.

You are going to another confinement?

Yes, monsieur.

The young Countess Devilleveau

for Dr. Charbonnet.

Please, use a clean one.

Charbonnet?

- Charbonnet! - Your Majesty?

I have a surprise for you.

Who do you think is here?

I am most curious, Your Majesty.

- Who? - Pasteur.

Pasteur?

- Here at the palace? - Yes.

I sent for him.

The Emperor has never seen a germ.

He's very skeptical.

If he will honor me by looking at these slides..

Monsieur Pasteur, you are wanted.

I wonder how you handle this apparatus.

'The Empress.'

Let me see. Let me see.

Oh, well.

Come, come, Pasteur, tell us precisely what you mean.

Sire, the hospitals of Paris are pest houses.

There's scarcely a doctor in the city

who's not carrying death on his hands and instruments.

Because of microbes, monsieur?

Your private menagerie of invisible beasts?

Exactly.

Dr. Charbonnet could see them for himself.

If he took the trouble to use his microscope.

He could watch them multiply into murderous millions.

They breed in filth.

They may start from the gutters of Paris tonight

and by tomorrow claim some mother from this very court.

Preposterous!

To think that a human being could be destroyed

by an animal ten thousand times smaller than a flea.

It's as though an army of ants

were to overthrow Your Majesty's empire.

Monsieur, a young woman

the wife of one of the court servants

died here this evening.

A victim of your bigotry.

You dare accuse me of murder?

But that isn't the end.

The midwife who attended her

will carry the infection to your next

and more illustrious patient.

Countess Gabrielle Devilleveau.

Stop! You should know better, monsieur.

The Countess Gabrielle is Her Majesty's sister.

I forbid any more.

Oh, Monsieur Pasteur, it's most fascinating...

If you please, my dear.

Your Majesty, I..

Is it not true that you are the author of a pamphlet

which caused the death of a noted physician?

And also that you practice medicine of a kind?

I don't practice medicine.

I'm trying to put a stop to the negligence of those who do.

Pasteur, in the preservation of wine and beer

you have been of service to France.

We appreciate it.

In the future you will confine your work to that field.

It is my wish, nay, my command.

And if you have any more theories to offer

you will first present them in writing

to the Academy of Medicine

which is the proper guardian of our national health.

Sire, what about the pamphlet he's already written?

As for that pamphlet, monsieur

you will publish an immediate retraction

or suffer my displeasure.

Permit me, monsieur.

I'm Jean Martel, physician and surgeon.

Graduate of the Ecole nor male, the Institute Frances

doctor of medicine from Le Sorbonne.

Secretary of Hygiene

member of the International Association