10 



STREPTOCXKVUS LONGUS FROM OTHER SOURCES. 



Streptococci are common in the feces of cattle and on the 

 external surface of cows. In an examination of forty samples 

 of fresh feces from the rectum of healthy cows, streptococcus 

 longus was demonstrated in thirty-two. Probably a larger nnm 

 ber could have been demonstrated by a more careful examina- 

 tion. In this regard Heinemann 4 says: "Streptococcus lacticus 

 can be detected in cow feces, on the external surface of cows 

 and in milk at all stages of subsequent handling." It seems 

 quite probable that the contamination of the milk may be the 

 result of their presence in the feces. 



Streptococcus longus is almost universally present in the 

 throat secretion of healthy individuals. Park found them in 

 S3 per cent and states that he probably could have found them 

 in some of the others by longer search. 



With this class of organisms constantly present in the throats 

 of healthy persons, and inducing in them no unfavorable con- 

 ditions, it would seem unnecessary to concern ourselves with 

 those which are introduced into our bodies in the milk supply. 

 If the long streptococci normally present in the throat do not 

 find conditions favorable for the development of virulence, ap- 

 prehension of those in milk is in all probability unwarranted. 

 Streptococci in milk from activity inflamed udders are of course 

 excepted. 



INGESTION EXPERIMENTS. 



It is through ingestion of milk which contains these organ- 

 isms that we expect to encounter danger. We should consider 

 ingestion experiments of great importance in deciding their 

 potency for harm. I have not carried out an extensive investi- 

 gation in this regard and would suggest that further work be 

 done before accepting any conclusions. 



My experiments consisted in feeding two rabbits a large 

 quantity of a strain of streptococcus longus which had been 

 isolated from a sample of milk from a normal, healthy udder. 

 A beef- tea culture was grow^i in the incubator forty-eight hours 

 when it had become very cloudy and had some sediment. After 



