MICROBIAL ANTAGONISTS 265 



of the homologous antivirus, the organisms underwent active phagocy- 

 tosis, this action being specific. The antivirus was nontoxic and could 

 withstand a temperature of ioo° C. It imparted to certain tissues a local 

 immunity against the specific bacteria. 



The favorable therapeutic results obtained from the use of antivirus 

 have been confirmed, largely in France, Austria, and Germany. The 

 antivirus apparently acts not upon the bacterium but upon the tissue of 

 the host in such a way as to produce local immunization, thus prevent- 

 ing infection. Nonspecific filtrates may cause an occasional increase of 

 resistance, but the protection produced by specific filtrates is said to 

 be more intense and more dependable (689, 775). Antivirus therapy 

 was believed to offer some promise, although it was said not to give con- 

 sistent results (385) . Further studies of antivirus led to suggestions that 

 its favorable effects were due entirely to the culture medium ( 8 ) . The 

 whole question thus appears to be still debatable, with proponents and 

 opponents of the specific nature of the antivirus effect (119, 627). 



The application of bacteriotherapy for the treatment of chronic infec- 

 tions of the middle ear (739) and actinomycosis in man has also been 

 suggested. Filtrates of E. typhosa and of E. coU were found (844) to 

 check the growth of the typhoid organism, whereas E. coli grew readily 

 in such filtrates} the more sensitive typhoid bacterium was checked 

 earlier in its growth than the colon organism. In general, E. tyfhosa 

 was found to be readily inhibited by the growth of antagonistic bacteria. 

 Because of this, it was believed that pasteurized milk contaminated with 

 a pathogenic organism presents a particular danger, since no antago- 

 nists are present to inhibit the rapid multiplication of the pathogen. 

 Metchnikov (635) suggested utilization of the antagonistic relations 

 between lactic acid bacteria and proteolytic bacteria for repressing the 

 growth of the latter. Thus, pure cultures of the former are introduced 

 into the food system of man, in order to repress in the intestinal canal 

 the proteolytic organisms that are supposed to bring about intoxication 

 in the system. In recent years, L. acidophilus, an inhabitant of the hu- 

 man intestine possessing antagonistic properties against pathogenic in- 

 testinal bacteria, has come into general use (778). The problem of com- 

 bating pathogenic intestinal bacteria by means of nonpathogenic forms 

 (737) has thus been given wide consideration. The utilization of yeasts 



