394 MILK 



derivatives, which are of a more or less injurious influence if they 

 penetrate to the circulation, may be formed in the colon by anae- 

 robes and by bacteria of the Bacillus coli type. It is an open ques- 

 tion, however, whether these injurious products are formed in 

 sufficient quantity to induce auto-intoxication or other bodily 

 ailments. Although exact scientific investigations in this field 

 are still incomplete, it may be assumed that injurious results occur 

 chiefly when the system has been rendered susceptible by disease 

 or some other cause, so that small quantities of poisonous prod- 

 ucts have a deleterious effect. 



The question naturally presents itself whether the bacterial 

 flora of the intestinal tract can really be changed by sour milk 

 food or by any other means, for that matter, and if so, is the change 

 sufficiently permanent to be of lasting benefit? Work on this 

 subject has been carried on chiefly with milk prepared with cul- 

 tures of the Bulgarian bacillus. Some authors claim to have es- 

 tablished this organism in the intestinal tube and to have shown 

 the presence of these bacilli in the fecal discharges. However, 

 others have determined that they are normally present in the 

 whole digestive tube, and that the mere finding of lactobacilli 

 in the feces does not prove that they have been introduced with 

 the milk. 



The sanguine statements of Metchnikoff and others that Ba- 

 cillus bulgaricus can be implanted in the intestinal tract have 

 not been generally confirmed. Liirssen and Kuhn, Herter and 

 Kendall, Rahe, and Hull and Rettger were unable to implant 

 Bulgarian bacilli in the intestines, although Herter and Kendall 

 believe that the bacterial flora can be influenced by a substantial 

 change of food which is accompanied by a reduction of protein 

 and an increase of carbohydrate. Oehler fed mice and monkeys 

 with Bulgarian sour milk for eight days and found Bulgarian ba- 

 cilli in the intestinal tract during the feeding period, but they dis- 

 appeared in two or three days. Belonovsky, after feeding mice 

 for one and one-half months with milk cultures of Bulgarian bacilli 

 added to sterilized grain and water, was able to detect the bacilli 

 for fifteen days after the last feeding. 



Cohendy, after ingesting cultures of Bacillus bulgaricus, 

 claimed to have observed a material reduction of intestinal putre- 

 faction, and found the organism in the feces for several weeks 

 after discontinuing ingestion. Herter experimented with dogs 

 and was able to note increased putrefaction after feeding Bacillus 

 coli and proteus, while feeding cultures of lactic acid bacteria 

 seemed to reduce putrefaction. Tissier thought he had reduced 

 putrefaction by the use of cultures of Kozai's Bacillus acidi para- 

 lactici. 



