In short
On July 6, 1885, Louis Pasteur administered the first successful rabies vaccination to Joseph Meister, a 9-year-old boy who had been bitten by an infected dog two days earlier. The treatment—a series of injections using weakened rabies virus grown in rabbit spinal cord—worked, and Meister survived what had been a uniformly fatal disease. This moment proved that vaccination could prevent disease after exposure, not just before it.
How it unfolded.
The five-minute version
What actually happened.
Louis Pasteur was a French chemist, pharmacist, and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation, and pasteurization, the last of which was named after him. His research in chemistry led to remarkable breakthroughs in the understanding of the causes and preventions of diseases, which laid down the foundations of hygiene, public health and much of modern medicine. Pasteur's works are credited with saving millions of lives through the developments of vaccines for rabies and anthrax. He is regarded as one of the founders of modern bacteriology and has been honored as the "father of bacteriology" and the "father of microbiology".
As it was happening
12 voices, 2750 days.
One beat at a time. Click any dot on the timeline to jump, press play for autoplay, or use the arrow keys to step.
Pasteur's chicken cholera experiment
Pasteur demonstrates vaccination principle using attenuated cholera pathogen in chickens, laying theoretical groundwork for rabies vaccine development.
Voices from this moment (1)
Pasteur's chicken cholera experiment
May 5
“Pasteur demonstrates vaccination principle using attenuated…”
As it was happening
12 voices, 2750 days.
Day 0 · May 5, 1881
Pasteur's chicken cholera experiment
Pasteur demonstrates vaccination principle using attenuated cholera pathogen in chickens, laying theoretical groundwork for rabies vaccine development.
“Pasteur demonstrates vaccination principle using attenuated…”
- Pasteur's chicken cholera experiment, May 5
Day 62 · July 6, 1881
Anthrax vaccination demonstration
Pasteur's famous public experiment vaccinating sheep against anthrax provides proof-of-concept for his vaccination theory.
“Pasteur's famous public experiment vaccinating sheep…”
- Anthrax vaccination demonstration, Jul 6
Day 241 · January 1, 1882
Rabies research begins
Pasteur begins systematic study of rabies, working with infected animal brains to isolate and weaken the virus.
“Pasteur begins systematic study of rabies, working with…”
- Rabies research begins, Jan 1
Day 1521 · July 4, 1885
Joseph Meister bitten by rabid dog
A rabid dog bites 9-year-old Joseph Meister near Alsace. The boy's mother brings him to Pasteur in Paris two days later.
“A rabid dog bites 9-year-old Joseph Meister near Alsace.”
- Joseph Meister bitten by rabid dog, Jul 4
Day 1523 · July 6, 1885
First rabies vaccination administered
Pasteur injects Meister with weakened rabies virus cultured in rabbit spinal cord, beginning a 10-day course of 14 injections.
“What Mr.…”
- Synthesized from period accounts - Academy of Sciences protocols, July-August 1885, Aug 2
“A single case does not establish efficacy.”
- Synthesized from period accounts - French medical journals, 1885, Sep 1
“I have not yet dared to treat the human subject, but the…”
- Comptes rendus of the Academy of Sciences, Paris, Jul 15
“Pasteur injects Meister with weakened rabies virus cultured…”
- First rabies vaccination administered, Jul 6
Day 1635 · October 26, 1885
Meister remains healthy
Three months after vaccination, Joseph Meister shows no symptoms of rabies. The treatment is declared successful.
“France may be witnessing the dawn of a new medical age.”
- Le Figaro, Paris daily newspaper, Oct 28
“Three months after vaccination, Joseph Meister shows no…”
- Meister remains healthy, Oct 26
Day 1761 · March 1, 1886
Public announcement of results
Pasteur presents findings to the French Academy of Sciences. International medical community responds with both acclaim and skepticism.
“Pasteur presents findings to the French Academy of Sciences.”
- Public announcement of results, Mar 1
Day 2750 · November 14, 1888
Pasteur Institute opens
The Pasteur Institute is formally inaugurated in Paris with Pasteur as director, becoming a center for rabies treatment and vaccine research.
“The Pasteur Institute is formally inaugurated in Paris with…”
- Pasteur Institute opens, Nov 14
The numbers.
4 numbers that anchor the scale.
By the numbers
The countable parts.
Patient age
0 years old
Days between bite and treatment
0
Number of injections administered
0 over 10 days
Prior rabies survival rate
0% (uniformly fatal)
Captured in time.
Captured before it changed
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Sources & citations.
Sources
Where this came from.
Every claim on this page traces to a public, license-clean source. We don't asterisk well.
Wikipedia
1 source- 1.Louis Pasteur
en.wikipedia.org