INFECTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT 121 



hours the liver is soft and friable, crepitates between 

 the fingers, and on section shows the presence of many 

 bubbles of gas. There may also be a small accumulation 

 of gas in the peritoneal cavity. Smears from the he- 

 patic blood and from the auricular blood swarm with 

 organisms of the capsulatus type. The spleen also con- 

 tains such organisms in great numbers. 



The following protocols are instructive in this con- 

 nection : 



EXPERIMENT 1. One cubic centimeter of a filtered faecal suspen- 

 sion, from a normal person sixteen years of age, almost free from 

 putrefactive products in the urine, was injected into a rabbit which 

 was immediately killed by a blow on the neck. After five hours' 

 incubation, the animal was examined. Abdomen distended slightly 

 from distension of large intestine; liver firm, slightly friable, and 

 free from gas. A stained liver smear shows a few short bacilli 

 (not capsulatus} . Heart's blood shows short bacilli in abundance, 

 rarely a bacillus of capsulatus type. 



EXPERIMENT 2. Two cubic centimeters of filtered faecal sus- 

 pension from a healthy man (aet. 42) recently recovered from uni- 

 versal eczema, were injected intravenously into a rabbit which 

 was then promptly killed by a blow on the neck. Animal incu- 

 bated for five hours at 37 C. On exhibition, no odor of butyric 

 decomposition; liver firm and without gas bubbles. Smear from 

 heart's blood showed a few bacteria of capsulatus type. 



EXPERIMENT 3. Two cubic centimeters of filtered faecal sus- 

 pension from a healthy breast-fed baby were infused intravenously 

 into a rabbit which was then promptly killed. Examination after 

 five hours' incubation at 37 C. reveals no odor of butyric putre- 

 faction, and liver is firm and free from gas. Smears from the 

 heart's blood show it to be free from bacteria of any kind. 



These experiments may be contrasted with the follow- 

 ing : 



EXPERIMENT 4. Two cubic centimeters of filtered faecal sus- 

 pension from an anaemic baby with irregular diarrhoea were in- 



