THE GONOCOCCUS GROUP 301 



parameningococcic serum which is stated to have effected rapid 

 improvement in the few cases of parameningococcus infection in which 

 it was tried. These cases failed to respond to injections of meningo- 

 coccus serum. 



Wollstein 1 has made careful comparative studies of the morpholog- 

 ical, cultural and serological reactions exhibited by a series of meningo- 

 cocci and parameningococci; her conclusions, which follow, summarize 

 the available information of the relationship between these two 

 organisms : 



"The parameningococci of Dopter are culturally indistinguishable 

 from true or normal meningococci, but serologically they exhibit 

 differences as regards agglutination, opsonization, and complement 

 deviation. 



" Because of the variations and irregularities of serum reactions 

 existing among otherwise normal strains of meningococci, it does not 

 seem either possible or desirable to separate the parameningococci 

 into a strictly definite class. It appears desirable to consider them 

 as constituting a special strain among meningococci, not, however, 

 wholly consistent in itself. 



"The distinctions in serum reactions between normal and paramen- 

 ingococci are supported by the differences in protective effects of the 

 monovalent immune sera upon infection in guinea-pigs and monkeys. 



" It is therefore concluded that it is highly desirable to employ strains 

 of parameningococcus in the preparation of the usual polyvalent 

 antimeningococcus serum. It remains to be determined where it is 

 better to employ the parameningococci along with normal meningo- 

 cocci in immunizing horses, or to employ normal and para strains 

 separately in the immunization process and to combine afterward, in 

 certain proportions, the sera from the two kinds of immunized horses." 



THE GONOCOCCUS GROUP. 



Micrococcus Gonorrheae. Synonyms. Diplococcus gonorrhea?, gon- 

 ococcus. 



Historical. The gonococcus was first observed by Neisser 2 in puru- 

 lent urethral and vaginal discharges. Some years later Bumm 3 grew 

 the organism in pure culture upon coagulated human blood serum and 

 reproduced acute gonorrhea in men by urethral injections. 



1 Jour. Exp. Med., 1914, xx, 201. 2 Cent. f. d. med. Wiss., 1879, No. 28. 



3 Die Mickroorganismen des gonorrhoischen Schleimhauterkrankungen Gonococcus, 

 Neisser, Wiesbaden, 1885, No. 28. 



