A HERO OF SCIENCE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 473, 16 August 1915, Page 6

A HERO OF SCIENCE.

FRENCH DOCTOR'S GRUESOME. NIGHT TASK. "I have just obtained an interesting narrative concerning the heroic death of Dr Chaillon, head of the ■ anti-rabies department of the Pasteur Institute, and one of the most brilliant young scientists in France" ; (writes the Paris correspondent of the ''Daily Chronicle"). "On April 27 last he was cited in the order of the day for 'having demanded and obtained the perilous mission of disinfecting a battlefield near the enemy's trenches, where he was killed in fulfilling his service.' The Flash from the Tin. "On April 21, writes a friend of his, Dr Chaillon motored out to the wood behind the advanced lines, close to the enemy's trenches, and during the night went out alone to reconnoitre the position: and estimate the difficulty of his work.. Between the French and : German trenches lay a mass of corrupting flesh, which had been there for many months, and gave,'forth most poisonous and deadly vapours. To disinfect them thoroughly under the cover of darkness would take at least 12 nights. "Dr Chaillon insisted'upon performing the task alone, and on the night of the -24 th he was accompanied by two stretcher-bearers named Bailby and Vion, who were to remain at some distance away, in order to prepare the disinfectants*. "At first the scene was very quiet, and the Germans did hot fire a shot, so that, encouraged by this silence and by the darkness of the night, Dr Chaillon went within seven yards of the enemy's first trench', sprinkling . the dead bodies with his disinfectant powder. y however, the - tin in which this was contained began to flash m the light of the moon, which had now come from behind a cloud,, and gave the alarm to the German sentries, A shell burst over Dr Chaillon's head; and killed a- corporal and eight men some distance behind.

"Dr Chaillon'himself endeavoured to get to shelter, and r£j6iried the stretcher-bearer, Bailbyy but another shell burst close to them and buried them so s deep in the earth that it took five hours to disinter them." '