Research into the chemical processes in the small intestine of man / by Allan Macfadyen, M.D. Ed., M. Nencki, M.D., and N. Sieber, M.D.

  • Macfayden, Allan, 1860-1907
Date:
[1891?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Research into the chemical processes in the small intestine of man / by Allan Macfadyen, M.D. Ed., M. Nencki, M.D., and N. Sieber, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/44 (page 404)
    1. A bacillus, which quickly liquefies gelatine, and which we will call the bacillus liquefaciens ilei. 2. A short rod-shaped bacillus, resembling in appearance the bacillus coli commune. 3. An oval bacterium, which did not liquefy gelatine. In addition to these predominating forms, the following microbes were isolated from scattered colonies :— 4. A bacillus of ellipsoid shape. 5. A large, plump bacillus. 6. A streptococcus, non-liquefying. 7. Yeast fungi. 8. A mould fungus, resembling morphologically, and probably identical with, the oidium lactis. It is worthy of notice that not only schizomycetes, but also yeast and mould fungi, were isolated from the contents of the small intes¬ tine, and that they still retained their vitality after having been subjected to the action of the gastric and intestinal juices. The three first-mentioned and the yeast fungi were the only forms present in number; the others were first isolated after many examinations of the plates. Putrefactive bacteria were not isolated. On the anaerobic gelatine and agar plates we found three forms, which, however, in their morphological appearance and growth in different nutrient media, corresponded to forms already isolated aerobically. They were :— 1. A non-liquefying short rod bacillus. 2. A non-liquefying oval bacterium. 3. A streptococcus. The first two were the prevailing forms. All three were facultative anaerobic bacteria. Amongst the bacteria isolated we found no obligatory anaerobic forms. II. The Cultures after a Diet mainly Carbohydrate. The methods were the same as in the former case. The microscopic preparations again contained numerous bacteria. The coloured preparations contained also forms which took up the pigment very feebly or not at all. We could distinguish five different forms with certainty; three were bacilli and two micrococci. Some of the bacteria were motile. Here also the first plates made were quickly liquefied. The liquefying microbe Was isolated from the more diluted plates, and proved to be a streptococcus, and not the bacillus isolated during meat diet. There was, secondly, a slender bacillus most constantly found on the plates. It was not observed on the plates made whilst the patient was upon meat diet. Yeast fungi were numerous.