Joseph Meister
Encyclopedia
Joseph Meister was the first person to be inoculated
against rabies
by Louis Pasteur
, and the first person to be successfully treated for the infection.
In 1885, nine-year-old Meister was bitten by a rabid dog after provoking it by poking it with a stick. Pasteur decided to treat the boy with a rabies virus grown in rabbits and weakened by drying, a treatment he had earlier tried on dogs. The treatment was successful and the boy did not develop rabies.
As an adult, Meister served as a caretaker
at the Pasteur Institute
until his death in 1940 at age 64. During the Nazi
occupation of Paris
, he committed suicide by shooting himself with his World War I
service revolver
.
Reportedly he chose to commit suicide rather than allow the Wehrmacht
to enter the Pasteurs' crypt
. However, Dr. Georges Cohen, who lived in the same Paris apartment building as Joseph Meister's son, related that although Meister did commit suicide in despondency over the German invasion, the suicide was not related to Pasteur's burial crypt.
Inoculation
Inoculation is the placement of something that will grow or reproduce, and is most commonly used in respect of the introduction of a serum, vaccine, or antigenic substance into the body of a human or animal, especially to produce or boost immunity to a specific disease...
against rabies
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
by Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist born in Dole. He is remembered for his remarkable breakthroughs in the causes and preventions of diseases. His discoveries reduced mortality from puerperal fever, and he created the first vaccine for rabies and anthrax. His experiments...
, and the first person to be successfully treated for the infection.
In 1885, nine-year-old Meister was bitten by a rabid dog after provoking it by poking it with a stick. Pasteur decided to treat the boy with a rabies virus grown in rabbits and weakened by drying, a treatment he had earlier tried on dogs. The treatment was successful and the boy did not develop rabies.
As an adult, Meister served as a caretaker
Property caretaker
A Property caretaker is a person, group or organization that cares for real estate for trade or financial compensation, and sometimes as a barter for rent-free living accommodations...
at the Pasteur Institute
Pasteur Institute
The Pasteur Institute is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who made some of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine at the time, including pasteurization and vaccines for anthrax...
until his death in 1940 at age 64. During the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
occupation of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, he committed suicide by shooting himself with his World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
service revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
.
Reportedly he chose to commit suicide rather than allow the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
to enter the Pasteurs' crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
. However, Dr. Georges Cohen, who lived in the same Paris apartment building as Joseph Meister's son, related that although Meister did commit suicide in despondency over the German invasion, the suicide was not related to Pasteur's burial crypt.
Further reading
- Gerald L. GeisonGerald L. Geison-Career:Gerald L. Geison went on to earn a doctorate in Yale University's Department of the History of Science and Medicine in 1970 and then joined the Princeton faculty, where he was a professor in the history department and the Program in History of Science."He wrote two books, The Private...
. The Private Science of Louis Pasteur (Princeton University Press, 1995) (ISBN 0691034427)