HUMAN DIGESTIVE POWERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 October 1924, Page 1

HUMAN DIGESTIVE POWERS.

A hitherto unknown member of the bacterial garden that each human being keeps in his digestive tract has been isolated and studied by a woman worker, Madame Khooviiie, at the luslitut Pasteur ill Paris. It is of peculiar interest because it possesses the power to digest cellulose, the cellwall material of hay, suit wood, and other “roughage.” known to exist in the intestines of grazing and browsing animals; indeed, it is believed that it is due to a sort of pal tuership bel "cell the l.adcriuiu and the lioslanimal that hoofed animals are able to derive nourishment from bay—and even, in tile ease of the goat and tho camel, from wood and paper. Rut so far human livings have never been suspected of being even potentially “hayhimiers." It is not suggested in the present instance that the now bacterium will enable man to combat the high cost of living hv eating cotton stalks or ensilage. The microbo digests the cellulose pretty lliorotighlv on its own account, and the hv-pro-diu ts of its activities have little or no value as food. They are listed as “carbon dioxide, hydrogen, alcohol, and acetic and butyric acids.” Apparently it must have cellulose lor loud, for it it <*jiunot make use ol sugars or starches. While the new germ apparently does not do us any good, it seems also incapable of barm. Mine Kliouvine states that it is non-patliogeme.