A STUDY OF THE BOAS-OPPLER BACILLUS 437 



tion may explain the finding of lacto-bacilli in large numbers 

 in cases of gastric carcinoma. 



However, if it be true that the presence of lacto-bacilli in 

 large numbers in the stomach is due to a reduced quantity of 

 hydrochloric acid, it may be assumed that they ought to be 

 easily found in any pathological condition which reduces the 

 normal acidity of the gastric juice. This reasoning led us to 

 carry on a study of the problem the results of which are pre- 

 sented in this paper. We were aided by the kindness of Mr. 

 A. G. Bower who furnished samples of gastric juice from a 

 variety of sources. 



The method of isolation was the same as the one employed 

 by Heinemann and Hefferan. About half a cubic centimeter 

 of gastric fluid was inoculated into acetic acid broth and incu- 

 bated at 44°C. After twenty-four hours incubation several loop- 

 fuls were transferred to htmus milk and this was also incubated 

 at 44°C. After a further twenty-four hours, transfers were 

 made from the litmus milk tubes to other similar tubes and this 

 proceeding was repeated every twenty-four hours until the 

 characteristic reaction in Htmus milk was observed. The coagu- 

 lum should be smooth and compact with the appearance of 

 httle or no whey; the major part of the milk should be decolor- 

 ized and a surface layer of intense red appears. Stains with 

 methylene blue were prepared to ascertain the presence of long 

 bacilli in pure culture. In order to study colony formation, 

 plates were prepared in whey agar. Maltose broth was inocu- 

 lated with five strains (P, S, F, H and the stram from infant 

 feces) to test their reaction on this carbohydrate and finally 

 500 cc. of sterihzed milk were inoculated with the same five 

 strains. The evolution of acid was determined by titrating 

 5 cc. of the undiluted milk with N/20 NaOH and the acidity 

 was calculated as lactic acid. The flask inoculated with strain H 

 (from carcinoma) became contaminated and the results had 

 to be excluded. The optical rotation of the lactic acid produced 

 was determined after preparing the zinc salts in the usual manner. 



Since lacto-bacilli are present in saliva it was suggested by 

 Heinemann and Hefferan that they might be identical with 



