ALS in French, “L. Pasteur,” one page, both sides, 5.25 x 8, April 1, 1885. Handwritten letter from Louis Pasteur to “Monsieur d'Angély,” penned a few weeks before his first effective application of the rabies vaccine on the young Alsatian Joseph Meister, which took place in July 1885. In the letter, Pasteur conveys concern not only about his patient's health, but also his patient's financial needs and insurance, in part (translated): “I take the liberty of referring to you a brave workman bitten…in Grenoble by a rabid dog, whom the doctor referred to me in the thought that I could treat him, but you know that I have not yet dared to do anything to the man…You would be very kind to take note of this workman's insurance policy and give him advice so that he can – without untying his purse – recover the money to which he seems to have certain rights.” In fine condition.
After five years of extensive study of the rabies virus and the successful treatment of several infected dogs, Louis Pasteur faced his first human patient in July of 1885. Certain that the severely bitten nine-year-old Joseph Meister would not survive without treatment, he began the course of the 13 injections; after administering all 13, one each day, in progressively stronger doses, Meister regained strength and never developed rabies. After a second successful treatment on a bitten shepherd, which began in October, word spread, and people began to seek him out for the vaccinations.
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