A STUDY OF THE BOAS-OPPLER BACILLUS 



p. G. HEINEMANN and E. E. ECKER 

 From the Department of Hygiene and Bacteriology, the University of Chicago 



In 1895 Boas and Oppler (1895) published a paper in which 

 they reported observations on a large bacillus occurring in 

 the gastric juice of patients afflicted with carcinoma of the 

 stomach. In the same year Schlesinger and Kaufmann (1895) 

 found a similar bacillus in 19 cases out of 20 cases of gastric 

 carcinoma examined. These findings were further confirmed 

 by several investigators and the presence of large numbers of 

 these bacilh in the stomach was taken to indicate carcinoma. 

 Strauss (1895) reported finding similar organisms in normal gastric 

 juice although in small numbers. Kuntze (1908) was the first 

 to suggest that the Boas-Oppler bacillus was related to the 

 lacto-bacilli. Rodella (1908) has also^ shown the similarity 

 of the Boas-Oppler bacillus to the so-called acidophile or aciduric 

 bacilli and the B. bifidus of Tissier. These suggestions were 

 given further experimental support by the work of Heinemann 

 and Hefferan (1908). The authors found in an extensive in- 

 vestigation of that group of bacteria, now commonly known as 

 the B. bulgaricus group, that similar bacilli were present in two 

 samples of normal gastric juice and in two cases of gastric car- 

 cinoma. These organisms are difficult to cultivate as they do 

 not grow on ordinary laboratory media to an appreciable extent ; 

 but they grow well in milk or on media prepared from milk. 

 The presence of glucose or some other carbohydrate favors 

 growth. For a detailed description of the organism and its 

 cultural characteristics the reader is referred to the pubhcation 

 of Heinemann and Hefferan (1908). 



In 1914 Gait and lies (1914) reported the finding of the same 

 organism in three cases of gastric carcinoma. They thought 

 that mahgnant cases of carcinoma could be distinguished from 



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