2 



1. Review of the Literature. 



The intestinal flora of man has for maiiv vears attracted 

 considerable attention from various points of view. A number of 

 iiiYCstigators have devoted their time to a taxonomic study of 

 bacteria present in the aUmentary canal and in the excretion. The 

 physiological significance of the bacterial flora has been elucidated 

 by others and the Hterature deahng with the symbiotic or antibiotic 

 relationships of the different groups of intestinal bacteria to the 

 human body is voluminous. It is evident that in the course of 

 so much work, numerous cases of the presence of moulds in the 

 digestive tract and in the faeces have been met with, especially 

 where platings have been made of the content of slomach, intestine. 

 and faeces. It is equally true that such fungi have been discussed 

 only in rare and exceptional cases. The appearance of moulds on 

 platings from the alimentary tract has invariably been passed 

 over without comment. Sometimes a short notice is given, 

 announcing these fungal intruders as »harmlöse» or »banale Schim- 

 melpilze», even — and this is the rule — where no identification 

 of the fungi has been made. 



Kuster (34), in his recent résumé of the normal intestinal flora 

 of the adult, groups the different organisms in the following classes: 

 1. B. co//-group; 2. Acidophilous bacteria; 3. B. proteiis-group : 

 4. B. subtilis-gr oup\ 5. Anaerobic bacteria; 6. Thermophilous 

 bacteria; 7. Micrococci; 8. Species of Vibrio, Spirillum and 

 Spirochaete; 9. Yeasts and Moulds. Onh^ the last group interests 

 US here. No reference to literature is given, and no further remarks 

 are made with regard to yeasts and moulds beyond the statement 

 that species of Saccliaromyces begin to appear in the faeces as soon 

 as mixed food is taken, the meconium being free from yeasts as 

 well as bacteria. Nothnagel (44), as early as 1881, gives a detailed 

 account of his results obtained from a study of more than 800 

 samples of human faeces. He found Saccharomyces very common 

 in faeces. Oidium lactis was found in pathogenic cases. According 

 to Nothnagel yeasts in human faeces had already been observed 

 by Frerich, who sometimes found them present in large numbers. 

 ScYDLOwsKi, in 1879, had also discussed the prevalence of yeasts 

 in faeces, and Brefeld regarded the intestinal tract the very habitat 

 and breeding place of yeasts. 



