MICROCOCCI PATHOGENIC IN MAN. 199 



often led to mistakes. By the elaborate researches of 

 Bumm it seems to be definitely ascertained that no 

 growth of the specific cocci occurs on nutrient jelly or 

 on the other ordinary nutritive substrata, or at the 

 temperature of the room. Positive results under these 

 circumstances have always been due to saprophytes 

 morphologically very similar to the gonorrhoea! cocci. 

 According to Leistikow and Loefiler blood serum 

 gelatine is a very suitable soil for the gonorrhceal cocci ; 

 according to Krause and Bumni solidified blood serum 

 is the best. Bumm obtained the best cultivations with 

 moderately firm blood serum, the surface of which was 

 protected from drying by placing the tubes in a moist 

 chamber, and at about 32 C. If he inoculated the 

 secretion containing cocci on such blood serum, a fine 

 layer spread over the surface from several spots along 

 the inoculation stroke ; this layer attained a breadth of 

 1 2 mm., ultimately presented the appearance of a 

 very thin greyish yellow layer with moist smooth sur- 

 face, and then ceased to grow, and was found to consist 

 of closely packed masses of cocci. Further cultivations 

 can be carried on through several generations when the 

 reinoculations are made as early as possible. The 

 growth is always very imperfect ; the line of inoculation 

 increases in breadth by scarcely 1 mm. in the course of 

 a day, and the organisms frequently die without any 

 apparent reason. 



Animals have proved completely immune to the inoculation on 

 gonorrhceal cocci. In dogs, rabbits, horses, monkeys, ammalH - 

 &c., neither the fresh secretion, nor cultivations inocu- 

 lated on the conjunctival or urethral mucous membrane 

 have caused inflammation. On the other hand, the On man. 

 attempt has been made in two cases by inoculation of 

 cultivations on healthy human beings to demonstrate 

 the etiological role of the cocci in gonorrhoea. In 

 the first case Bockhart introduced a large quantity 

 of a cultivation in peptonised nutrient jelly into the 

 urethra of a lunatic who died some time afterwards from 

 an accidentally acquired pneumonia ; during life typical 

 gonorrhoea had developed, the secretion being full of 



