226 VETERINARY BACTERIOLOGY 



upon man. The laboratory animals do not contract the disease 

 upon inoculation. 



Character of Disease and Lesions. The organism ordinarily 

 causes an acute urethritis in both sexes. It may also produce 

 gonorrheal ophthalmia, particularly in the new-born. The 

 urethritis may become chronic and lead to stricture. Secondary 

 involvement of the Fallopian tubes, ovaries, and peritoneum in 

 the female, and of the epididymis and bladder in the male, fre- 

 quently occurs. Metastatic infections of the joints, causing gon- 

 orrheal rheumatism, of the heart valves, causing endocarditis, 

 of the brain and cord, causing meningitis, are not uncommon. 

 The organism may persist for a long period in a dormant state. 



Immunity. No true toxins are produced by the gonococcus, 

 but endotoxins have been demonstrated, as have also specific 

 agglutinins and precipitins. Little or no immunity is developed 

 as the result of an infection. The presence of specific ambocep- 

 tors in the blood has been shown by the method of deviation of 

 complement. Vaccination with the autolytic products of the 

 organism, and with cultures killed by heat, and by mixture with 

 strong solutions of lactose or other sugars, have been used with 

 a moderate degree of success. Porrey has prepared an anti- 

 gonococcus serum from the rabbit by immunization with living 

 cultures, and claims to have secured favorable results from its use. 



Micrococcos ascoformans 



Synonyms. Micrococcus botryogenus; Botryococcus ascofor- 

 mans; Botryomyces ascoformans; Zodglcea pulmonis equi. 



Disease Produced. Botryomycosis. 



The organism associated with botryomycosis was discovered 

 in 1870, and later investigated independently by Revolta and 

 Micellone in 1879, by Johne in 1885, and by Rabe in 1886. 



Distribution. This infection has been reported several times 

 from Europe, and there is evidence of its presence in the United 

 States. 



Morphology. The micrococci in the tissues are comparatively 

 large 1 to 1.5 ^ in diameter. They are embedded in the thick 

 capsules of the organism, forming a gelatinous mass of consider- 

 able size a zooglea. Upon culture-media the capsule formation 



