PUTREFACTION IN THE INTESTINE. 513 



increase in intensity toward the lower part, and decrease in the large 

 intestine because of the consumption of fermentable material and by 

 the removal of water by absorption. Fermentation processes, but only 

 very slight putrefaction, occur in the small intestine of man. MAC- 

 FAD YEN, M. NENCKI, and N. SEEBER 1 have investigated a case of 

 human anus prseternaturlis, in which the fistula occurred at the lower 

 end of the ileum, and they were able to investigate the contents of the 

 intestine after it had been exposed to the action of the mucous mem- 

 brane of the entire small intestine. The mass was yellow or yellowish- 

 brown, due to bilirubiD, and had an acid reaction which, on a mixed 

 but principally animal diet, calculated as acetic acid, amounted to 1 p. m. 

 The contents were nearly odorless, having an empyreumatic odor recall- 

 ing that of volatile fatty acids, and infrequently had a putrid odor 

 resembling that of indol. The essential acid present was acetic acid, 

 accompanied by fermentation and paralactic acid, volatile fatty acids, 

 succinic acid, and bile-acids. Coagulable proteins, peptone, mucin, 

 dextrin, sugar, and alcohol were present. Leucine and tyrosine could 

 not be detected. 



According to the above-mentioned investigators, the proteins are 

 only to a very slight extent, if at all, decomposed by the microbes in 

 the small intestine of man. The organisms present in the small intestine 

 preferably decompose the carbohydrates, forming ethyl alcohol and the 

 above-mentioned organic acids. 



Further investigations of JAKOWSKY and of AD. SCHMIDT 2 lead to 

 the same result, namely, that in man the putrefaction of the proteins 

 takes place chiefly in the large intestine, and the conditions are the 

 same in carnivora. In these latter it has been possible to follow the 

 intestinal digestion by investigating the contents of the various parts 

 of the intestine as well as by forming fistulas along the intestine. Again 

 PAWLOW and his pupils, especially LONDON 3 and his collaborators, have 

 essentially advanced our knowledge on this subject. 



In regard to the digestion of protein, it has been found that after 

 feeding meat, bread, or certain protein bodies, the digestion in the 

 stomach and small intestine is so complete that on the passage of the 

 contents into the caecum all the protein is digested and absorbed. 

 Unboiled white of egg is an exception and is digested with difficulty. 

 In experiments with unboiled white of egg, LONDON and SULEIMA reob- 



1 Arch. f. exp. Path. u. Pharm., 28. 



2 Jakowsky, Arch, des scienc. biol. de St. Petersbourg, 1; Ad. Schmidt, Arch. f. 

 Verdauunskr., 4. 



3 The works of London and collaborators cannot be cited in detail, but may be 

 found in Zeitschr. f. physiol. Chem., 46-57. 



