'It is natural that the good people of Leichhardt, when they walk about
in their beautiful seaside park and glance across the narrow waterway to
Rodd Island, should fear lest some of the imprisoned mischief-makers of
the French savants should escape to do them harm. It is probable that
not a gentleman of those who are agitating in this matter has been
within an institute for bacteriological research. Hence he does not
know - how should he? - the infinite care that is taken with these minute
germs; nor does he know how harmless many of them are apart from their
life-conditions of nutrition, warmth, darkness, or otherwise.
At the same time, the science of bacteriology has made itself a universal name, and there is none so ignorant as not to have learned what uncanny subjects the modern chemists and physiologists have to deal with. The alarm at Leichhardt has prompted questions in Parliament as to the disposal of Rodd Island, which the local people want to secure as a public pleasure resort, thus achieving two desirable things, evicting the cultures and possessing their domain ; that is to say, spoiling the Egyptians very thoroughly. Mr COPELAND, with a creditable regard for the interests of the whole colony, has confirmed MM. LOIR and MOMONT in their occupation, and those gentlemen are, therefore, free to continue their researches that already bid fair to rid our herds of a destructive disease. And now the French physiologists attest to the public the harmlessness of the vicinity of their laboratory to the people at Leichhardt. We should, therefore, hope that the alarm felt in the suburb may be dispelled, and that the interesting work of the Pasteur Institute of Australia may proceed to valuable results.' Source: Echo, 10 October 1892. |