THE VENEREAL DISEASES 77 



slightly flattened sides, and like the meningococcus 

 it is found in the pus cells; but the two germs 

 are not often confused, as they are almost never 

 found in the same tissues. Special culture media 

 are required for the artificial growth of the gono- 

 coccus, which is sensitive to drying and variations of 

 temperature. 



While gonorrhoea is primarily an inflammation of 

 the urethra, the infection is by no means localized, 

 and may cause far-reaching and disastrous results, 

 particularly in women. Stricture of the urethra 

 is the most common result in men; but in women 

 the uterus, Fallopian tubes, and the peritoneum 

 are frequently infected, resulting in a train of serious 

 disorders which necessitate extensive surgical opera- 

 tions, and in nearly, if not quite all cases cause sterility. 



Gonorrhoea ophthalmia, which is the cause of 10 

 per cent of all cases of blindness, occurs in the new- 

 born from infection from the mother, and in later 

 cases the infection may be carried to the eyes by 

 hands, handkerchiefs, towels, or any object which 

 may have been handled or touched by a person 

 suffering from gonorrhoea. 



The gono coccus may gain entrance to the blood 

 and be carried in the circulation to all parts of the 

 bady; the synovial membranes covering the joints 



