218 INFECTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT 



the occurrence of carbohydrate dyspepsia which is so 

 common in cases of oxaluria may influence the occur- 

 rence of oxaluria in an indirect manner through its 

 effect upon proteid metabolism, but of such an influence 

 we at present know nothing. 



Of the intermediate stages by which sugars are de- 

 composed with the production of oxalic acid we are at 

 present in ignorance, but there is some reason to suspect 

 that glyoxylic acid forms an intermediate product of 

 decomposition. This, however, does not make it neces- 

 sary to assume that any considerable quantity of glyox- 

 ylic acid is present at one time. 



Propionic, butyric, and higher volatile fatty acids are 

 common products of putrefaction. They are formed 

 by putrefactive anaerobes not merely from sugar-holding 

 media, but from proteid media in which there is no free 

 sugar, although carbohydrates may be essential to ini- 

 tiate decomposition. Among the most important anae- 

 robic bacteria capable of forming butyric acid during 

 putrefaction are the motile organisms known as the 

 amylobacteria, the granulo-bacillus immobilis liquefaciens 

 of Grassberger and Schattenfroh (probably a non-patho- 

 genic form of B. aerogenes capsulatus) , the bacillus of 

 symptomatic anthrax (rauschbrand), the bacillus of 

 malignant oedema, and the B. putrificus of Bienstock 

 (cadaver bacillus). 



Acetone. The interesting observation has been 

 made that the mixed faecal flora growing upon a peptone- 

 bouillon medium for a period of a week at the body 

 temperature in certain instances gives rise to the forma- 



