HISTORICAL REVIEW 7 



the same advantage with his patients. Oehler (1911) conducted feeding 

 experiments with yoghurt on mice and monkeys and stated that B. hvl- 

 garicus could be demonstrated with ease in the feces during the entire 

 feeding period. 



The claims of Metchnikoff and his followers could not be substan- 

 tiated, however, by the following investigators. Luerssen and Kiihn 

 (1908) failed to implant B. bulgaricus in the intestine of man by the 

 continued use of yoghurt. Herter and Kendall (1908) found that on 

 feeding a monkey for two weeks exclusively on milk fermented with 

 B. bulgaricus of Massol the organism in question did not establish itself 

 below the level of the ileo-caecal valve. Spiegel (1911) stated that the 

 therapeutic value of bulgarian milk or tablets is at least doubtful and 

 that there is insufficient evidence of beneficial action. Heinemann 

 (1912) claimed that B. bulgaricus is not a panacea for intestinal putre- 

 faction. Blodgett (1913) concluded that the administration of this 

 organism in cases of glycosuria is of no benefit. Distaso and Schiller 

 (1914) fed the organism to white rats and were forced to the conclu- 

 sion that it is impossible to bring about the acclimatization of B. bul- 

 garicus in the intestine. 



Macfayden, Nencki and Sieber (1891), Lembke (1896) and Hammerl 

 (1897) failed to establish any definite relation between ingested food 

 and types of intestinal bacteria. Lembke (1897) continued his inves- 

 tigation and was ultimately able to demonstrate that by changing the 

 diet, namely by the substitution of bread for meat, a marked difference 

 could be brought about in the character of the intestinal flora. The 

 investigator did not, however, attribute any prominence to the aciduric 

 organisms. 



Tissier's extensive study of the bacteriology of infants' stools marks 

 a big step in advance. He observed three distinct phases in bacterial 

 infection of the intestinal tract of infants, namely, the period of 

 sterility, the period of mixed or promiscuous infection, and the period 

 of transition resulting in the establishment of the characteristic 

 nurseling's flora. At birth the alimentary canal and its contents are 

 sterile, as had been shown by Senator, Escherich and others. The 

 first indications of bacterial contamination of the meconium are dis- 

 cernible several hours after birth. The early invaders are adventitious 

 microbes in every respect resembling those which are commonly met with 

 in the baby's environment, and probably gain entrance to the intestinal 

 canal through the mouth and anus. 



As soon as the digestive tract becomes the recipient of mother's milk 

 and its digestion products a marked change is recognizable in the in- 

 testinal flora. The heterogeneous aggregation of microbes gives way 

 to a simplified flora dominated by B. bifidus, which persists as long as 

 the child's diet is confined to breast milk alone. When breast feeding 

 gives way, however, to artificial feeding and the diet becomes more 

 varied the simplified and essentially B. bifidus flora gradually shifts to 



