70 INFECTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT 



all the bacteria described as present in the tract during 

 the period of bottle-feeding are likely to be still present, 

 for the use of cow's milk is generally continued into 

 the epoch of a mixed diet. Microorganisms of the 

 B. bifidus type are usually much less numerous in the 

 intestine in childhood and adolescence than in the cow's- 

 milk period, but other types of bacteria are commonly 

 more numerous. This is true of the putrefactive anae- 

 robes, certainly of B. aerogenes capsulatus and probably 

 of B. putrificus. 1 Still the number of these anaerobes 

 is small 2 and putrefactive processes in the intestine 



1 An organism corresponding to Nencki's B. liquefaciens ilei 

 is usually abundant in the lower ileum, ascending colon, and per- 

 haps the caecum. I have not yet had an opportunity to study the 

 biochemical characters of this organism, but suspect that it may 

 be a vegetative form of B. putrificus. 



2 The following notes relate to typical microscopical fields pre- 

 pared from the digestive tract of a boy aged fourteen years : 



CASE OF SUDDEN DEATH, MALE, MT. 14 



Autopsy showed heart dilated, aorta 1.5 cm. in diameter; 

 stomach intensely congested; intestines normal. The skull was 

 not opened. There was no history of infectious disease to ex- 

 plain the cardiac dilatation, and no endocarditis. No cause for 

 this sudden death was revealed by the autopsy findings. The 

 slides were made two hours after death. 



Microscopical Findings 



I. Stomach. Very few bacteria are seen. There are small 

 numbers of positive diplococci, sometimes in chains, all medium- 

 sized. A few short, negative bacilli and a few small, negative 

 diplococci are also seen. 



II. Duodenum. There are a few positive diplococci; other- 

 wise no bacteria. Considerable masses of epithelial cells and 

 very few small negative diplococci are found. 



III. Jejunum. A few medium-sized, positive diplococci and 



