YEAST-LIKE FUNGI OF "HUMAN INTESTINAL TRACT 11 



that the appearance of the thrush organism in the mucous membrane 

 of adults indicates an acid condition. The presence of abundant 

 yeasts might, therefore", be an indication of abnormal conditions in 

 the intestinal tract. If this hypothesis were true one would expect to 

 find large numbers of yeast-like fungi constantly -present in other types 

 of itnestinal disorders which give similar conditions to that of sprue 

 or thrush. The results obtained in this investigation show that com- 

 paratively few diarrheal patients yield large numbers of yeasts, and 

 indicate that some other explanation of the large numbers found in 

 sprue cases is necessary. 



The geographic distribution pf the persons studied was found to be of no 

 particular significance. Persons from the southern states gave no different 

 results from those in the north. A large number of samples were obtained 

 from the Kankakee State Hospital for the Insane. These samples were taken 

 at different times extending over a period of several weeks, thus securing 

 them under varying conditions of diet. The samples from pellagra cases were 

 obtained from the United States Pellagra Hospital, at Spartanburg, S. C. A 

 number of persons from Urbana and Champaign also furnished material for 

 study. An epidemic of gastro-intestinal trouble at the Lincoln State School 

 and Colony, at Lincoln, Illinois, furnished an exceptional opportunity for study- 

 ing diarrheal cases. Local physicians kindly secured a number of miscellaneous 

 cases of intestinal disturbances. 



The sprue case recorded is of special interest since it is one of 

 the few studied in temperate climates from an etiologic standpoint. 

 The person from whom the isolations were made had lived for 2 years 

 in Porto Rico (1912-1914) where it is supposed she contracted the 

 disease. She then came to Urbana and has lived here since, except 

 that the summer of 1915 was also "spent in Porto Rico. The present 

 tests were made during the fall of 1916. 



As mentioned, the diet of the person could evidently influence the 

 number of yeasts present at any one time. It was not possible, how- 

 ever, to make a detailed study of the diet of the persons examined 

 and no attempt was made to control this factor except to secure sam- 

 ples from a large number of persons under different conditions of 

 diet and at various seasons of the year. 



Summarizing the results obtained from 175 persons, it is evident 

 that yeast-like organisms are present only in relatively small numbers 

 in healthy persons; that ordinary gastro-intestinal disorders have no 

 relation to the yeast flora of the intestinal tract; that the constant 

 presence of large numbers of yeasts is not met with in healthy or dis- 

 eased persons under ordinary conditions; and that in the single sprue 

 patient examined, a species of yeast was constantly present in large 

 numbers in all samples plated. 



