NOTE ON THE FLORA OF THE STOMACH 

 G. E. BURGET 



From the Department of Hygiene and Bacteriology , University of Chicago 

 Received for publication February 1, 1920 



Sarcinae and other organisms of undescribed form were ob- 

 served by Goodsir (1842) in the fluid periodically ejected from 

 the stomach of a patient. Hasse and Kolliker (1847) also re- 

 ported finding sarcinae in gastric juice. Frerichs (1849) confirmed 

 these findings in dogs with a gastric fistula, while the dogs were 

 in a weakened condition. Studying extracts from his own stom- 

 ach during fasting Abelons (1888-89) isolated Sarcina, B. pyo- 

 cyaneus, B. lactis-arogenes, B. amylobacter, Vibrio rugula and other 

 organisms. Hamburger (1890) reported that gastric juice con- 

 taining free hydrochloric acid was almost always free from living 

 organisms. From material obtained in the early morning from 

 persons suffering from indigestion, Oppler (1894) found sarcinae 

 in abundance. Kaufmann (1895) in a case of chronic dyspepsia 

 isolated yellow sarcinae, Micrococcus aurantiacus, Staphylococcus 

 cereus-albus, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus ramosus, a large thick 

 bacillus and a short bac t illus resembling B. colt. One yeast was 

 found in this investigation. 



Herter (1907) states that gastric juice in normal abundance as 

 found after a meal acts as a check on the growth to many, and 

 is partially destructive to most, varieties of bacteria. He says 

 that the proteolytic action of pepsin plays a part in this destruc- 

 tion. Gregersen (1916) has shown that gastric juice containing 

 free hydrochloric acid is strongly bactericidal and that the pres- 

 ence of pepsin or combined acid is of no importance in this de- 

 struction. Furthermore the presence of bread increased the 

 bactericidal power of the gastric juice to three or four times that 

 of a similar strength of the pure acid in water. Kendall states 

 that certain aciduric bacteria and yeasts may be found occa- 

 sionally in the normal stomach. 



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