On this day in 1885, 9-year-old Joseph Meister was badly bitten by a rabid dog. After consulting with physicians and obtaining their assistance, Louis Pasteur agreed to vaccinate the boy with his rabies vaccine, which he had successfully used to prevent rabies in dogs. This was done at some personal risk for Pasteur, since he was not a licensed physician and could have faced prosecution for treating the boy.
Over 11 days, Meister received 13 inoculations, each inoculation using viruses that had been weakened for a shorter period of time. Three months later he examined Meister and found that he was in good health. Pasteur was hailed as a hero and the legal matter was not pursued.
Studio portrait of Louis Pasteur
Art meme
today is the birthday, in 945, of Rik Elswit, guitarist, with American rock band Dr Hook who had the 1970s hits ‘The Cover of Rolling Stone’, ‘A Little Bit More’, ‘When You’re in Love with a Beautiful Woman’ and ‘Sylvia’s Mother’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVXVO_vF2Io
