436 BACTERIA OF THE SPUTA 



likewise with their mouth ; but in the normal conditions, however, 

 the ciliary action continuing unhurt through the air-passages, the 

 inhaled leptothrical elements cannot reach the pulmonary tissue, 

 but are instead thrown out and expectorated with the sputa, as 

 stated in the other Memoir. 



III. — Go?iococcus of Neisser. Probably, says Pommay, a normal 

 bacterium of the urethra is the progenitor of the gonococcus of 

 Neisser ; it is useless to repeat here that relationship. Let it 

 suffice to record the fact that we have detected in the urine num- 

 berless gonococci, in a case of carcinoma of the bladder, inde- 

 pendently from any gonorrheal contagium whatever.* According 

 to the morphological characteristics, the gonococci in question do 

 not differ from the ordinary arched diplococci, and therefore can 

 be held, till proved otherwise, to be derivations from the state of 

 sarcina (one form of the zoogloeic state). As regards the manner 

 by which the leptothrical elements penetrate from the external 

 genitals into the urinary passages, as well as the presence of analo- 

 gous forms (curved diplococci) in the contents of the mouth, in 

 sputa or the middle ear ; and also as regards the discovery in the 

 urine or sperm of capsulated forms (forms analogous to pneumo- 

 cocci), we refer to the previous Memoirs. 



From the morphological sketch we have just given, nothing 

 perfectly absolute and incontroverted is to be inferred, either for 

 or against any previously acknowledged systematic view ; but 

 perhaps few people will doubt that, in the field of modern bacte- 

 riology, much still remains to be done, and a great deal of discus- 

 sion, combined with careful study, will be required before any 

 definite and satisfactory results will be arrived at concerning the 

 pathogenesis of infectious diseases (we are, of course, now alluding 

 to those cases which are strictly clinical). Many will, we are sure, 

 agree with us that, with regard to bacteria, our knowledge is so 

 limited that no method of investigation will appear superfluous in 

 order to study aright their genesis and properties in order tho- 

 roughly to understand and appreciate their function in our 

 economy. 



F. ViCENTiNi, Corresponding Member. 

 Chieti; May, i8q2. 



*Atti della R. Accademia Msdico-Chirurgica di Napoli, tomo XLIII., 1890. 



