MICROBIAL DISEASES OF MAN AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS 787 



The organism is found at the local lesion and has been obtained 

 from the fluid of affected joints, and from the blood in the septicaemic 

 cases. 



A general immunity is seldom if ever developed in man following an 

 attack of gonorrhoea. A complement-fixing antibody has been dem- 

 onstrated, however, which is sometimes an aid in diagnosis when a good 

 polyvalent antigen is used in the test. Thomson's antigen is an 

 improvement. 



Injections of cultures into animals give rise to agglutinins, bacteri- 

 cidal and complement-binding bodies. 



The diplococcus is eliminated only in the purulent discharge. 



Great importance attaches to the fact that persons may harbor the 

 Gonococcus long after the acute condition has disappeared and when the 

 coccus seems to be no longer harmful to its host. Such cases bring 

 about untold misery and form one of the most difficult problems in both 

 medical and social science. It has been stated that Gonococci have 

 been found as late as twenty years after the primary infection. 



The most extended and successful prophylactic measures have been 

 carried out in the armies and navies of various countries by the use of 

 germicidal solutions whenever there has been any chance of exposure 

 to infection. The use of germicidal solutions in the eyes of new- 

 born infants is practically universal as a preventive measure against 

 ophthalmia. 



EPIDEMIC CEREBRO-SPINAL MENINGITIS* 



Micrococcus meningitidis 



Cerebro-spinal meningitis may be caused by different bacteria such 

 as the pneumococcus, streptococcus, staphyJococcus, influenza bacillus, 

 tubercle bacillus, etc., but the greater proportion of cases of acute 

 meningitis, those of the epidemic type, are due to the meningococcus 

 or diplococcus intracellularis meningitidis. 



Epidemic meningitis has been described chiefly in Europe and Amer- 

 ica and appears to have been first clearly defined in 1805. While 

 sporadic cases occur, the disease usually exists in the epidemic form, 

 beginning in the fall, continuing during the winter, and declining in the 

 spring. Of late years it would seem to be on the increase. 



* Prepared by Edward Fidlar. 



