MICROBIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF INTESTINAL BIOPSIES TAKEN DURING ACTIVE WHIPPLE'S DISEASE.

Summary Attempts were made to culture the bacillif orm bodies seen in small intestinal biopsies from a case of Whipple's disease. Material for examination was diluted to exclude normal flora contaminants and was cultured on a wide range of media and in a variety of tissue culture. Results were uniformly negative after prolonged culture. Animal inoculations including direct application to the ileal wall of monkeys gave similarly negative results. It is concluded that the bacilliform bodies, assuming them to be bacteria, were highly fastidious, and that their growth requirements were not met in these experiments.