The effect of feeding cultures ofBacillus acidophilus, lactose, dry skim-milk or whole milk on the hydrogen ion concentration of the contents of the ceca of chickens

does not appear. First page follows. Introduction The experiments, herein reported, were undertaken to determine in what manner, if any, the hydrogen ion concentration of the cecal contents of chicks would be influenced by feeding them with milk or certain milk products, and the relation of any changes found to occur to the control of coecidiosis. Why milk feeding should be generally beneficial in intestinal infections of chicks is not made entirely clear by the published work of Rettger and his associates.(4), (5), (6), (7) The experiments of Beach and Corl(1) did not add any information regarding this point, although they proved the practical efficiency of milk in the control of avian coccidiosis. If the reasons for the value of milk feeding in the control of coccidiosis of chicks were known, it might be determined that some of the milk products which can be shipped long distances would be equally effective. In such a case a means of controlling coccidiosis would be available to poultrymen in localities for removed from dairying districts. These studies have been confined to the ceca because coccidial infection of chicks is usually confined to these parts of the intestinal tract.