SPECIFIC INFECTIOUS DISEASES PRODUCED BY COCCI 225 



the organisms occur generally in pairs inside the polymorphonuclear 

 leukocytes. The cells are usually coffee-bean shaped. The in- 

 dividual cells measure about 1.6 by 0.8 [L. There is little or no 

 tendency to chain formation, the cells being arranged in irregular 

 masses in culture-media. The organism stains readily with the 

 ordinary anilin dyes and is gram-negative. This latter fact is 

 important, as it renders differential diagnosis between the com- 

 mon streptococci and the gonococcus possible. 



Isolation and Cultural Characters. The organism may be 

 isolated directly from gonorrheal pus, care being exercised to 

 secure pus not contaminated with organisms from the skin. Con- 

 siderable difficulty is sometimes experienced in securing cultures. 

 Usually no growth will occur 

 on ordinary agar or gelatin, 

 although, when considerable 

 quantities of pus are spread 

 over the surface, some colonies 

 will develop. Wertheim's me- 

 dium, composed of one part of 

 human serum to two parts of 

 nutrient agar, is commonly 

 found to be the one on which 

 growth is most readily secured. 

 The organism gradually adapts 



itself to growth on artificial v . 



Fig. 96. Micrococcus gonorrhoea m 



media, and after a few transfers pus (Giinther). 



develops more luxuriantly. The 



colonies resemble those of the Sir. pyogenes, being small, discrete, 

 and transparent. 



Physiology. The organism is aerobic. It is easily destroyed 

 by desiccation, although when dried in pus it may retain its 

 vitality for weeks. It must be transferred from one culture- 

 medium to another every two days if kept at thermostat 

 temperatures, less frequently in the refrigerator, to keep it 

 alive. 



Pathogenesis. Evidence of Pathogenesis. That the gono- 

 coccus causes gonorrhea is evident from the fact of its universal 

 occurrence in gonorrheal pus, and from inoculation experiments 



15 



