114 APPLIED BACTERIOLOGY FOR NURSES 



case is really one of meningococcus meningitis. This, 

 as already stated, is done by means of lumbar puncture. 

 The fluid thus obtained is centrifuged, the sediment 

 spread on a slide, dried, fixed, and then stained ac- 

 cording to Gram's method. In case of meningococcus 

 meningitis Gram-negative diplococci will be found 

 mostly in the interior of pus cells. (See Fig. 36, 

 page 113.) If the organisms are Gram-positive the case 

 is not one of meningococcus meningitis. 



