Historical Perspective: Metchnikoff and the intestinal microbiome

Metchnikoff's essay, Intestinal Bacteriotherapy , was written when the study of microbiology was still in its infancy and few intestinal diseases had been ascribed to a specific bacterial infection. Metchnikoff offered perceptive ideas that have become standard in today's science. This Historical Perspectives commentary examines how Metchnikoff's article influenced our field. An accompanying editorial by Siamon Gordon explores this topic further and describes the relevance of Metchnikoff's work to the current Covid‐19 infection. We also include a translation of this fundamental article by Metchnikoff, as presented by Claudine Neyen.