ITS PEACTICAL VALUE TO THE GENERAL PRACTITIONER. 13 



bacillus in staining properties,, it is to be recalled that both of 

 the former bacilli stain more rapidly, decolorize more easily and 

 have different grouping tendencies than the latter. The failure 

 to find tubercle bacilli, of course, does not necessarily negative 

 the presence of the disease, nor may the number of bacilli found 

 bear any relation to the extent of the disease process. 



Gonorrhea, 'at present, is most accurately diagnosed by stain- 

 ing. The organism, which is a rather large diplococcus with 

 flattened surfaces in opposition, and a tendency to be found in 

 groups in or upon the cells, is differentiated from most other 

 diplococci by failing to stain by Gram's method, although readily 

 coloring with the ordinary basic anilin dyes. In subacute or 

 chronic cases the gonococci, having invaded the deeper epithelial 

 layers, may be absent from the discharge except during exacerba- 

 tions. It has, therefore, been suggested that in gleets of obscure 

 nature the "Beer Test" be used ; the visit to Bacchus being fre- 

 quently rewarded by the return of the gonococcus to the dis- 

 charge. 



The staining of cerebro-spinal fluid withdrawn by the lumbar 

 puncture has been a decided aid in diagnosing certain varieties of 

 cerebro-spinal inflammation. The diplococcus intracellularis 

 meningitidis of Weichselbaum, frequent in the epidemic and very 

 fatal form, resembles the gonococcus by its presence in the 

 leucocytes and by being decolorized by Gram's method. The 

 diplococcus of pneumonia has also been found in the fluid of 

 many of the fatal cases. 



In the diagnosis of gastric carcinoma probably the most sug- 

 gestive addition to the stomach contents, apart from the presence 



