FERMENTED MILKS 233 



cation — toxic fermentations in the intestines — is based 

 on the principle that the presence of lactic acid bacteria, 

 and the products of their growth, prevent or inhibit the 

 growth of the toxin-producing germs in the intestinal 

 tract. It is probable that the beneficial results secured 

 by the use of fermented milks are due to a combination 

 of causes: First, the subduing influence of the lactic-acid- 

 producing germs on undesirable ferments; second, the 

 inhibiting effect of the lactic acid on toxin-producing 

 germs; third, the influence of substances not necessarily 

 acid in nature, secreted or produced by the milk ferments; 

 and fourth, the stimulating effects and nutritive value of 

 all the milk components. 



Whatever the physiological action may be, it is certain 

 that there are certain benefits to be derived from the use 

 of fermented mUks. 



Tablet and Capsule Cultures. — Rogers^ reports that 

 some brands of tablets and capsules, sold imder various 

 trade names, purporting to contain great numbers of the 

 Metchnikoff bacillus or Bacillus bulgaricus, were examined 

 in the Dairy Division laboratory, and were found to con- 

 tain very few of these desirable bacteria. When these 

 tablets were introduced into sterile milk, the resulting 

 fermentation was not of the desirable type. The milk 

 was curdled, but the curd showed evidence of the pres- 

 ence of peptonizers and gas producers. One tablet which 

 was advertised to contain " 5,000,000 active Metchnikoff 

 units " was found to contain about a million bacteria, 

 nearly all of which were of the class usually considered un- 

 desirable inhabitants of the digestive tract. The findings 

 of this and other laboratories indicate that little reliance 

 can be placed on dried cultures of B. bulgaricus. 

 1 U. S. Dept. of Agri., Bii. An. hid., 26th An. Kept. 



