78 BACTERIOLOGY FOR NURSES 



are a favorite resting place, resulting in arthritis, or 

 gonorrhceal rheumatism. 



"A peculiarly dangerous feature of gonococcus 

 infection is the long period during which an infected 

 man or woman may be capable of infecting others. 

 Gonococci may persist in the genito-urinary secre- 

 tions for years after apparently complete recovery 

 has taken place. By this means serious inflamma- 

 tions of the genital tract are produced in thousands 

 of innocent wives by their previously infected hus- 

 bands." (Jordan.) 



Epidemics of vulvovaginitis in little girls are not 

 an uncommon occurrence in schools and in institu- 

 tions, and present almost insurmountable difficulty 

 in stamping them out. Such infections usually origi- 

 nate in unclean, overcrowded tenements where chil- 

 dren occupy the same beds with adults, and where 

 baths and clean clothing are infrequent, and are 

 then carried into schools and disseminated by con- 

 tact with clothing and the water-closet seats. If 

 introduced into children's hospitals or wards, it 

 may be carried by bath tubs, towels, wash cloths, 

 dishes, diapers, bed and body linen, and closet 

 seats. 



The most lamentable result of these epidemics of 

 vaginitis among the little girls is the fact that the 



