COMMUNICABLE DISEASES 



391 



fected. Physicians, dentists, and nurses may become accidentally 

 infected. Physicians and dentists may inoculate patients accidentally, 

 through the use of improperly disinfected instruments; this is, however, 

 quite rare. Contaminated drinking vessels, spoons, forks, etc., may 

 transmit the infection. 



3. In both diseases the primary causes are readily destroyed by the use 

 of disinfectants. With absolute cleanliness the diseases could not exist. 

 In brief, the two diseases could not exist if moral and physical cleanliness 

 prevailed. 



PiG. 96. Gonococcus and pus cells from theurethral discharges of acute gonorrhea 

 The organism is readily demonstrated by the usual staining methods, using monhylene 

 blue or Gram's method. The Gonococcus is cultured with some difficulty (use blood 

 serum-agar in incubator at 37C.) There are several other cocci resembling the Gono- 

 coccus in form, but these differ in that they can be cultured in ordinary media at the 

 room temperature. (Williams.) 



4. Both diseases are difficult to cure as already stated. Both are and 

 do become general or systemic in character, and are not local as is generally 

 supposed. Those suffering from these diseases should be isolated and 

 should never be allowed to come in close contact with the innocent. 



5. Physicians, pharmacists and nurses should act as public agents in 

 giving information regarding the transmissibility of, and the difficulty of 

 curing syphilis and gonorrhea and pointing to clandestine prostitution as 

 the most active source of the contagion. It should be made a criminal 

 offense for a syphilitic to convey the contagion to an innocent person. In 

 the army and navy the men receive careful instruction as to preventive 

 measures. This was found necessary as the prevalence of these diseases 

 incapacitated a large percentage of the men from active duty. 



