Lower Digestive Tract

This small book is an attempt to review present knowledge on the morphology, immunology, and pathogenicity of the pleuropneumonia-like organisms (PPLO). The author is a recognized authority on these organisms and the material is presented from her point of view, although she readily admits that there are some who may be in disagreement with her conclusions. Four of the eleven chapters are devoted primarily to PPLO infections of animals. Unfortunately, the discussion of PPLO infections of man does not throw new light on the significance of these organisms when recovered from clinical material. An excellent discussion on the serologic types of PPLO recovered from man and animals is presented; it is of interest that strains of these organisms recovered from the genitalia of man have been found to be of one seriologic type. The author states that the complement fixation test for serum antibodies in experiment animals as well as in some infections of man yield significant titers. It is hoped that this work will be developed further by Klieneberger-Nobel and her associates. Two chapters discuss in detail the isolation and morphology of the PPLO and the similarities and differences between the PPLO and L-forms of bacteria. Included is an interesting discussion of the theory that PPLO are developed from bacteria via the L-forms. A chapter on the nutrition and metabolism of this group of organisms has been written by S. Razin. The section on pathogenicity of these organisms includes an interesting discussion of the latency of some PPLO infections as may be manifested by the "rolling disease" of mice and in their appearance in tissue cultures. This book will be appreciated by microbiologists working with the PPLO since it represents a review of previous studies and points out the areas toward which future studies should be directed. It will not find, however, much use at the routine diagnostic work bench in the bacteriology laboratory. Volume 3 of the Ciba Collection has been completed with the publication of Lower Digestive Tract. Like its predecessors (parts III and I), the book is handsomely printed with fine color engravings. The text is presented in a didactic style and accompanies the illustrations on each page. The book is well-edited and has a useful index. A bibliography of about 700 references is divided into the book's sections and, therefore, is not too cumbersome. In the five years since the first part of Digestive System …