Show MICROBES AND DIGESTION curmi bow bald to be absolutely KM uary to proper assimilation the ubiquitous microbe is known to present two sides or phases to its character one is that of a disease prodoc ing organism the other that of the beneficent remover of decaying matter writes dr andrew wilson and of actually assisting the animal body to perform certain of its ordinary vital functions digestion to wit to what extent the animal may be dependent on microbes mic robes for its actual welfare is an open question but if certain researches undertaken by dr J Kija of the university of kieff are to be credited there may indeed exist a closer alliance between germs and their hosts than has hitherto been deemed possible this investigator experimented upon animals feeding them on food which has practically been sterilized and giving them air which had been rendered wholly one result of this regimen was to limit the assimilation of nitrogenous matter the idea here being that the presence of microbes mic robes in the digestive tract is necessary to effect this desirable end of nutrition the microbes mic robes left in the intestine or originally present there no doubt accomplished complis hed much of the work but the conclusion is that the microbes mic robes received with the food constitute an essential feature of healthy assimilation death was not the uncommon fate of many of the animals supplied with the sterilized food and air this result may perchance arise from processes of self poisoning such as the mi clobes naturally present in air and food obviate and prevent what seems specially interesting however is the new analogy which dr experiments reveal between the animal and the plant worlds certain plants can only assimilate nitrogen through the action and aid of the microbes mic robes which live in nodules on their roots in of these friendly germs no assimilation of nitrogen is possible therefore the case of the plant would seem to be closely related to that of the animal if it be proved that the nutrition of the latter cannot proceed naturally without the aid of the helpful microbes mic robes |