336 INFECTIONS OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT 



ciple of treatment. It is important to determine the 

 influence exerted by the lactic-acid bacteria themselves. 

 It is by no means certain that most of the beneficial 

 influence exerted by the fermented milks is not depend- 

 ent on the lactic acid existing preformed in the milk. 

 Whether the lactic-acid bacilli in a thoroughly fer- 

 mented milk go on producing lactic acid in the digestive 

 tract is uncertain and probably depends on the presence 

 or absence of fermentable carbohydrates. If it can be 

 shown that any type of lactic-acid bacilli is capable of 

 carrying on its activities in the ileum and large intestine 

 under anaerobic conditions, with a restraining action 

 upon anaerobic putrefactive spore bearers (such as B. 

 aerogenes capsulatus), an important contribution will 

 have been made to rational therapeutics. 1 



Another therapeutic method which has been syste- 

 matically employed in recent years in many cases of 

 intestinal disease is irrigation of the colon. It is even 

 possible to introduce a tube through the sigmoid flexure 

 into the descending colon, and in some instances the 

 tube may be passed still further in the direction of the 

 ileocaecal valve. By means of physiological salt solu- 

 tionTne large intestine has in many cases been washed 

 free of its contents. This procedure has now been 

 frequently practiced with extremely beneficial results 

 in the direction of diminishing excessive intestinal pu- 

 trefaction. I have known it in several instances to be 

 followed by a reduction in the output of ethereal 



1 The bacillus of Bacillac grows well in milk under anaerobic 

 conditions. 



