630 Journal of Applied Microscopy. 



The parasites had penetrated the mucous membrane of the stomach and intes- 

 tines, and caused a diphtheritic inflammation of the affected tissues. 



Dickson (14), in 1885, reported a case of a dairymaid, who was taken ill 

 with abdominal pain and fever, and who suffered especially from flatulence, 

 eructations, and vomiting. Upon a careful examination of his case, he concluded 

 that the disease was caused by the presence in the stomach of a spore-bearing 

 bacterium, having square cut ends. He was also of the opinion that the organism 

 in question had its normal habitation in the stomach, but that usually it multi- 

 plied in insufficient numbers to have any effect upon the peptic glands. 



Nasse (15), in 1886, described a case of a mycotic affection of the stomach in 

 a patient 60 years old. Upon post mortem examination, the affected area of the 

 mucosa was found to be invaded by numerous rod-shaped organisms, with round 

 ends. From his brief description, however, it is impossible to state what organ- 

 isms he studied. 



A. de Bary (16), in his lectures, published in 1887, mentioned that Bacillus 

 amylobacter is constantly present in the stomachs of ruminants. 



Richter (17), in the same year, had charge of a patient, a man 64 years old, 

 who suffered from pyloric constriction. An examination of the stomach contents, 

 from time to time, showed the presence of a large number of Sarcinae ventriculi. 

 Torulae were associated with the Sarcinae and in equally large numbers. 



Van Puteren (18), in 1888, reported to have isolated a number of micro- 

 organisms from the stomach contents of infants, varying in ages from three to 

 seventy days. All the necessary care was taken of the children during the entire 

 period of the experimentation, and only healthy subjects were employed. Some 

 of them were fed with human milk, while others with cows' milk. Parts of the 

 stomach contents were then removed with a sterile stomach tube, commencing 

 immediately after feeding, and continuing at intervals of five minutes, for one 

 hour and a half. Each portion removed served for acid and bacteriological 

 examinations. He isolated the following organisms : 



A. In those nourished with human milk, 85 cases, — Monila condida, in 57.6 

 per cent. ; Bacillus lactis gerogenes, in 37.6 per cent. ; Oidium lactis, in 12.9 per 

 cent. ; non4iquefying cocci, in 12.9 per cent. ; liquefying cocci, in 37.6 per cent. ; 

 Staphylococus pyogenes aureus, in 16.4 per cent.; Bacillus subtilis, in 11.7 per 

 cent. ; and an unnamed delicate bacillus, in 9.4 per cent. 



B. In those nourished with cows' milk, 11 cases, — Bacterium lactis aerogenes, 

 in 45.4 per cent. ; Oidium lactis, in 27.2 per cent. ; non-liquefying cocci, in 54.4 

 per cent. ; liquefying cocci, in 72.7 per cent.; Staphylococcus pyogenes aureus, 

 in 27.2 per cent. ; Bacillus subtilis in 86.3 per cent; a deUcate bacillus, in 18.1 

 per cent. ; Bacillus flavescens liq., in 27.2 per cent. ; and Bacillus butyricus, 

 Hueppe, in 100 per cent. 



C. No organisms were found in 18 per cent, of the children examined. 



In 41 per cent, of the cases examined, the number of organisms found in the 

 stomach did not amount to over 1000 per cubic centimeter, and in only 9 per 

 cent, did the number of organisms amount to more than six million per cubic 

 entimeter. 



He came to the following conclusions : 



