118 APPLIED BACTERIOLOGY FOR NURSES 



The gonococcus is the cause of various severe purulent 

 inflammations, among which the most important are 

 gonorrheal urethritis and vaginitis and gonorrheal 

 ophthalmia, as well as chronic joint affections and 

 chronic endocarditis. In adults ophthalmia is usually 

 due to an indirect infection, through soiled towels, etc., 

 but in newborn babies it is caused by direct inoculation 

 with gonococci found in the vaginal discharge of the 

 mother. As a prophylactic measure the use of a 2 per 

 cent, solution of silver nitrate in the eyes of every new- 

 born baby has become a routine practice in obstetrics, 

 with the result that the number of cases of blindness 

 due to gonorrheal ophthalmia neonatorum has mate- 

 rially diminished. 



In smears of fresh pus many of the gonococci will be 

 found within the pus cells, and this peculiarity, together 

 with their behavior toward Gram's stain, are aids in the 

 diagnosis. (The meningococcus in pus from meningitis 

 gives a similar picture, but it is smaller than the gono- 

 coccus, and does not, as a rule, occur under the same 

 conditions.) 



The gonococcus may remain dormant in the vagina 

 and urethra for years, and at any time set up a fresh 

 acute process. A vaccine, prepared by suspending the 

 killed gonococcus in an indifferent fluid (physiologic 

 salt solution), has apparently given good results in some 

 joint lesions. The dose varies from 20,000,000 to 1,000,- 

 000,000, repeated at intervals of three to seven da3^s. 

 Attempts have been made to produce a curative serum 

 by inoculating horses with increasing doses of vaccine, 

 but so far the results of its use have not been specially 

 satisfactory. 



