328 DISTRIBUTION OF BACTERIA 



bacteria and in fact is capable in certain instances of killing 

 such microorganisms as those of Asiatic cholera and typhoid 

 fever in from one hour to two hours. The vegetative forms 

 of Bact. anthracis have been killed in from fifteen to twenty 

 minutes and Bact. tuberculosis in from thirty-six to forty-eight 

 hours. The gastric juice has practically no effect on the spores 

 of Bact. anthracis, and the various species of pus cocci are also 

 very resistant to its action. A large number of the non- 

 pathogenic bacteria are also resistant to the action of gastric 

 juice and pass through the stomach unharmed into the 

 intestine. Bacteria may pass through the stomach into the 

 intestines in particles of food and thus escape the germicidal 

 action of the gastric juice. It is probable that Bact. tuber- 

 culosis and the endospores of all spore-producing bacteria 

 readily pass through the stomach to the intestine. 



In certain conditions, however, there are a large number 

 of bacteria developed in the stomach. This is especially 

 true as a result of diseases in which the functional activity 

 of the stomach is lowered and the gastric juice is reduced in 

 amount or becomes feebly acid or neutral. (Stenosis of 

 pylorus, carcinoma.) Usually fermentation is set up in the 

 stomach by some of the bacteria present. This is the con- 

 dition in some forms of dyspepsia. 



Abelous investigated the power of a large number of the 

 bacteria found in the healthy stomach to digest fibrin, and 

 the ability of others to convert starch into dextrose. The 

 experiments were made in vitro. His conclusions were, that 



