Abstract
IN an attempt of extracting some antibacterial substances from the earthworm, we obtained a substance having bacteriostatior bactericidal influence on human type tubercle bacilli, but not on several strains of non-acid-fast pathogenic microorganisms and saprophytic mycobacteria in vitro. The extracts from the earthworm by 3% glacial acid solution or 2.5% sulphuric acid solution were bacteriostatic in a concentration of 0.6 to 1% against human type tubercle bacilli. The latter was bactericidal in a concentration of 1% and relatively heat-stable. The extracts by ethanol or petroleum benzine were bactericidal in a 1.6 × 103 dilution, bacteriostatic in a 3.2 × 103 dilution and retained their antimycobacterial activities unchanged for five months at room temperature, but heating for 1 hour at 100°C decreased their activities to 1: 4 of the original ones.
