[How infectious diseases were taken over at the end of the XIXth century: The Saint-Denis Hospital example].

In 1881, the Saint-Denis hospital equipped itself with a real infectious diseases department which was conceived in respect to the rules of hygiene, cleanliness and prophylaxis. On the one hand, this department had an isolation purpose for the people who suffered from epidemic infections favoured by the environment. On the other hand, it was realized to deal with the common infectious diseases known at this time. The analysis of these diseases shows that the first anti-rabic vaccination attempt by Pasteur carried out at the Saint-Denis Hospital.