(70) 
number, and that in the several samples of faeces, under some of 
other circumstances, a greater or smaller number of bacteria may 
be produced; alkalin gelatin at 22° C. yields in general the greatest 
number of colonies, or at least very near to it, so that the thereby 
found estimations are also for the future used as criterion for the 
proportional numbers. The differences in the numbers of cultivable 
organisms prove, however, relatively slight under the given relations, 
and very certainly are reduced to nothing when opposed to the 
great number stated by the microscopic counting-method. We should 
accordingly conclude, that the applied external conditions are not 
able even partly to level the great difference between counting- and 
culture-method. If nevertheless we would maintain this view in 
order to explain the influence of nutriment and other external 
conditions, we should be obliged to admit that the greater part of 
bacteria occurring in human faeces, can only develop on very special 
media and in relations quite unknown as yet. For a few microscopic- 
ally perceptible organisms — some finer spirillum- and comma-shaped 
species — this possibility must be allowed; these forms are however 
rarely met with in the preparations, so that they can well be 
neglected, and most certainly they can by no means compensate the 
lack of cultivable organisms. 
The percentage of solid matter in the faeces is in no observable 
relation to the proportional numbers, in other words, the number 
of cultivable bacteria in human faeces does not depend on the 
amount of water (or state of dessication) of the faeces; the propor- 
tional numbers themselves have in the examined faeces most diverg- 
ing values. î 
Table III gives a survey of a mean, a maximum and a mini- 
mum number, estimated from the 14 determinations of Table I and 
Table II. 
‘ 
TABL Re DR 
: =e Ss Sa ea Br a wes G 
Ones | SS an a =) i a ES 
ez | SE2_9) 5845 n = an SS 
LS EK oll SSS ors) es a ws ns A 
CS se 9 6.8 | KH Pes Ee Ol se A 55) 2) 2 
es gOS | MW ETE aS s = =e 
= | Rg ee ERE Dee TE EE 
| A be B SS Res Zi = © ZET: 
BEN EER Der a aen ot EA a AR 
AEN EE NE A 
| oa eso}; 3 ~ on 5 S ; 3 S 
| © | ba SS en 4 = 4 3 
e@lacsselA2ege | = 8 ds * 
| 4} | | | 
Mean. | 21.96, 58.800090 | 658500 ~~ 8800 milliards. | 99 milliards. 
| j | 
| | 
Maximum. 30.60, 165.614000 | 6.396000 | 24800 » | 960 » 
| | 
| 
Minimum. 13.92) 20.162000 | 356 | 3000 » | 54 millions. 
i 
