A consideration of the above symptoms, and more especially
those pertaining to the character of the motions and the
condition of the nervous system, would indicate that we are
dealing not only with an inflammation but with a state of
toxic absorption as well. And, indeed, this is scarcely to be
wondered at when we bear in mind that in the disease under
consideration large tracts of the intestinal mucous membrane
are in an irritated condition, the continuity of the epithelial
covering disturbed and abraded, exposing the memberless
lymphatics to the decomposing contents of the gut. What
conditions could be more favourable to the absorption of
ptomaines and the production of toxaemia ?

That the intestines are at all times loaded with bacteria it
is needless to point out. The child's natural food, milk, is
probably the most germ-laden of all articles of diet. Drawn
fresh from the mother's breast it is fairly free from bacterial
contamination. But freshly drawn cow's milk has been
shown by Sidgwick and Batchelder (Brit. Med. Jour., 3,
viii., 1895) to contain 30,500 micro-organisms per c.cm.,
while Mr. Sidney Rowland, in a research undertaken at the
request of the editor of the British Medical Journal, found in
several samples taken from various dealers in sterilised bottles,
as many as 500,000 per c.cm., and of these the bacillus coli
commune formed 90 per cent. It may be contended that
this bacillus is present even in the intestines of the most
healthy. But although this is an undoubted fact, it does not
follow that because in health we can tolerate a certain dosage
of these organisms without harmful results, we can equally
contend against them when introduced in overwhelming
numbers.
