GONOCOCCUS. 265 



young infants, and also occasionally of ophthalmia in 

 adults. 



Secondarily, it is concerned in specific inflammations 

 of the tubes and ovaries, of the lymphatics communi- 

 cating with the genitalia, of the serous surfaces of joints, 

 and of those of the heart, lungs, and abdominal cavity. 



POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE DISTINGUISHING PECULI- 

 ARITIES OF THE GONOCOCCUS. Since gonorrhoeal dis- 

 charges may be contaminated with pyogenic cocci other 

 than those causing the specific inflammation, it is im- 

 portant in efforts to isolate this organism that the dif- 

 ferential tests be borne in mind and put into practice. 

 The gonococcus is differentiated from the commoner 

 pyogenic organisms by the following peculiarities: 



First, it is practically always seen in the form of dip- 

 lococci, the pair of individual cells having the appear- 

 ance of two hemispheres, with the diameters opposed 

 and separated from one another by a narrow, colorless 

 slit. (Is this the case with the staphylococcus or strep- 

 tococcus pyogenes ?) 



Second, in the pus it is practically always within the 

 protoplasmic bodies of pus cells. (How does this com- 

 pare with the conditions found in ordinary pus ?) 



Third, it stains readily with the ordinary staining- 

 reagents, but loses its color when treated by the method of 

 Gram. (Treat a cover-slip from ordinary pus by this 

 method and note the result.) 



Fourth, it does not develop upon any of the ordinary 

 media used in the laboratory; while the common pus- 

 organisms, with perhaps the exception of the strepto- 

 cocci, are vigorous growers and are not markedly fas- 

 tidious as to their nutritive medium. 



Fifth, when obtained in pure culture by either of the 



