THECAL illCRO-ORGAXISMS 255 



the appearance of Leptothrix luccalis. The number of 

 microbes which stain with iodine is found to be particularly 

 large in intestinal catarrhs. Fischer succeeded in growing 

 the Leptothrix fibres artificially. Furthermore, the different 

 micro-organisms which live in the intestinal tract are also 

 to be found in the fsBces. 



When observing the faeces it is important to examine a 

 small quantity in the hanging drop, when, besides the 

 micro-organisms, a copious quantity of desquamated 

 cylindrical epithelial cells are found. Even in such an 

 investigation as this it is very often seen that, in the case 

 of the majority of the different micro-organisms described 

 up to this point, pure cultures of one or other are present, 

 the other microbes either having been suppressed altogether 

 or being present in such small numbers that no attention 

 need be paid to them. Hence it happens, for example, 

 that, besides the cylindrical epithelium, nothing but actively 

 motile cholera bacilli are encountered on examining the 

 rice-water stools of that disease. 



Yeast cells are constantly found in the faeces, especially 

 in the acid stools of children {summer diarrhoea), and in 

 acute catarrh of the small intestine in adults. These cells 

 stain brown with iodine, which Von Jaksch connects with 

 the glycogen they contain. 



Bacillus subtilis appears with tolerable frequency in 

 normal as well as pathological alvine evacuations ; and 

 besides these, in diseased conditions of the intestines the 

 .respective micro-organisms are met with in the fseces 

 — for instance, the bacilli of cholera, typhoid fever, and tuber- 

 culosis. Netter was also able to isolate the Staphylococcus 

 pyogenes from the faeces.' 



' [Lambl, Losoh, Koch, Pfeifter, Kartulis, and others have also described 

 protozoa occurring in the faeces in health as well as under various patho- 

 logical conditions.] — Te. 



