46 TRANSFORMATION OF THE INTESTINAL FLORA 



at least the ingestion of one cubic centimeter of B. acidophilus suspen- 

 sion is insufficient to stabilize and maintain a simplified flora of the 

 purely aciduric type, although two cubic centimeters of the bacterial 

 suspension when fed daily are able, not only to bring about a complete 

 transformation, but also to preserve the acidophilus picture indefinitely, 

 that is as long as the suspension is administered. However, one cubic 

 centimeter of the B. acidophilus suspension, which in itself exerts little 

 or no transforming influence, becomes very effective in the course of but 

 a few days after it is reinforced with one gram of lactose or dextrin. 

 The same results are obtained, of course, when one cubic centimeter of 

 the acidophilus suspension is added daily to the diet containing one 

 gram of lactose or dextrin which in itself brings about only partial 

 transformation. 



The conclusions arrived at thus far regarding the transforming in- 

 fluence of lactose, dextrin and B. acidophilus, when given in sufficient 

 amounts, alone or in combination, were further corroborated by the 

 following experiments. Nine rats harboring the usual mixed flora were 

 divided into three groups of three each. The first group received two 

 grams of dextrin; the second, two cubic centimeters of B. acidophilus 

 suspension ; and the third, one gram of dextrin and one cubic centimeter 

 of the bacterial suspension. The results were quite uniform throughout 



CHART 21 



Curve indicating average percentages of B. acidoph- 

 ilus appearing in fecal specimens from rats 

 fed on a diet containing dextrin and 

 B. acidophilus 



90 



GO 

 70 



60 



60 

 40 



20 



10 



Diei in gram's 



Bread /O 



Beef J 



Dexirm I 



3. Qcjdophi/tis Ice. 



(SusretsioM It Jaunty 



/\lumbcrofdqys qf^rocfmmis^mr/on 0/ c//e^. 



to 



JZ 



/4 



