INFECTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT 279 



intestinal putrefaction into those which show an exces- 

 sive indicanuria and those which do not. The proposed 

 classification recognizes three types of putrefaction which 

 are common : the first may be called the Indolic Type, 

 and is characterized by indicanuria dependent chiefly 

 upon excessive decomposition induced through the co- 

 operation of members of the B. coli group (and probably 

 B. putrificus) ; the second type of intestinal putrefaction 

 may be designated the Saccharo-butyric Type, and is 

 initiated especially by anaerobic organisms in the digest- 

 ive tract. In its simplest form it is associated with 

 very little production of indol in the intestinal tract 

 and hence with slight indicanuria or even an entire 

 absence of indican from the urine. In the third group 

 of cases we find associated the characters of the indolic 

 and the saccharo-butyric types of decomposition. 1 I 

 will describe these types briefly according to my 

 present conception of their etiology and pathological 

 characters. 



1 1 think it will become desirable to distinguish a skatolic type 

 of putrefactive decomposition, i.e. a condition in which the in- 

 testinal bacteria persistently form skatol in amounts in excess 

 of the indol made. As mentioned in speaking of skatol, I have 

 found this product of decomposition abundant and dominant 

 over indol only under conditions of clinical deviation from normal 

 standards. But as I am still in doubt as to the bacterial conditions 

 that determine skatol production, I hesitate at present to make 

 skatol prominent in a plan of classification. Moreover, I do not 

 yet know whether excessive skatol production corresponds to 

 characteristic manifestations. 



