The influence of four kinds of Schiff bases on a strain of Escherichia coli was studied by microcalorimetry. Differences in their capabilities of suppressing the metabolism of this bacterium were observed. The results show that the extent and duration of the inhibitory effect on the metabolism as judged from the multiplication rate constant, k, varies with different Schiff bases. The multiplication rate constant k, of Escherichia coli (in log phase) in the presence of Mo-salicylioaldehyde-thiadizole, Mo-piperonaldehyde-thiosemicarbazone and Mo-3-methoxy-salicylicaldehyde-thiadizole decreases with the increase of concentrations of compounds c, and the relationships between k and c, maximum heat production rate pm and c, peak time of growth curves tp and c are of linearity. For Mo-6-nitro-pieronalde-thiosemicarbazone, the multiplication rate constant is constant irrespective of variation in concentration. The sequence of antibiotic activity of Schiff base is: Mo-salicylioaldehyde-thiadizole>Mo-3-methoxy-salicylicaldehyde-thiadizole>Mo-piper-onaldehyde-thiosemicarbazone >6-nitro-pieronalde-thiosemicarbazone.