CULTIVATION OF GONOCOCCUS 



251 



points of inoculation as small semi-transparent discs of rounded 

 shape. The colonies vary somewhat in size, and tend to 



# ft- 



.*-v \ 



FIG. 73. Colonies of gonococcus on serum agar ; (a) three days' growth ; 



(6) and (c) five days' growth, x 9. 

 From photographs l.y Dr. W. B. M. Martin. 



remain more or less separate. Later, the margin tends to be 

 undulated and the centre more opaque ; a radial marking may 

 be present (Fig. 73). The first cultures die out somewhat 



I u irk ly, but in sub- 

 cultures, kept at 37 C., 

 the organism remains 

 alive for a considerable 

 time, sometimes three /g 

 weeks. After a week [M 

 more active foci of growth / |- 

 may appear in some of 



tin- colonies in the form j 



of heaped -up opaque \g 



points, thus giving an 



appearance suggestive of 



contamination. In the 



early stage of the disease 



the organism is present 



in the male urethra in Fj(; 74 ._ Gonococci ; from a pure culture 



practically pure condition, O n blood agar of twenty-four hours' 



and if the meatus of the growth. Some already are beginning to 



urethra be sterilised by ^owth^swojlen appearance cominon in 



washing with weak solu- Stained with carbol-thionin blue, x 1000. 

 t ion of corrosive sublimate 



and then with absolute alcohol, and the material for inoculation 

 be expressed from the deeper part of the urethra, cultures may 



ft en be obtained which are pure from the first. In culture the 





