Antiperistalsis in Relation to Tubercle Bacilli, ioi 



present in the stomach. In the three others the injected bacteria 

 were not found in the alimentary tract. 



In the various experiments bacilH were recovered from the 

 lungs, hver and kidneys, urine and mesenteric glands. 



In three of four experiments Bacillus prodigiosiis was cultivated 

 from the blood within three hours of the rectal injection, and once 

 twenty-four hours later. In two instances, where attempt was 

 made tubercle bacilli were found in the blood twenty-four hours 

 after they had been introduced into the rectum. Forty-five and 

 fifty milligrams of a bovine culture had been injected, and 2 or 3 

 c.c. of blood was inoculated into each of six guinea pigs in both 

 instances. In none of these experiments was the organism found 

 in every blood culture, and in many of them the heart's blood 

 tested proved to be sterile. 



The result of these blood cultures suggested the injection of 

 the bacilli directly into the circulation with an injury as to their 

 subsequent distribution in the body. This work is still unfinished, 

 but it may be of interest to note in this connection that one hour 

 after injecting one forty-eight hour agar culture of Bacillus pro- 

 digiosiis, this organism was found in the small intestine, and that 

 three hours following the injection of 130 mg. of tubercle bacilli 

 they were demonstrated in the stomach and small intestine. That 

 these tubercle bacilli did not enter the alimentary tract by way of 

 the lungs was shown by two experiments in which the pylorus 

 was ligated previous to the intravenous inoculation and the bac- 

 teria were found in the small intestine. In these instances the 

 bacteria either passed into the lumen of the stomach or intestine 

 from without, or entered by means of the bile passages. Further 

 experiments are being carried out to determine this question. 



After it was shown that the bacteria entered the blood follow- 

 ing introduction into the rectum, it seemed necessary to inquire 

 whether they were excreted by the salivary glands and could 

 possibly in this way enter the upper part of the alimentary tract. 

 To this end three experiments were carried out on dogs. Rectal 

 injections of Bacillus prodigiosus were given in the manner de- 

 scribed and two or three hours later the secretion from the parotid 

 gland was obtained by means of a capillary tube inserted in the 

 opening of Stenson's duct. In most instances this is easy to carry 



