586 MICROBIOLOGY OF THE DISEASES OF MAN AND ANIMALS. 



cutaneous and intermuscular connective tissue. Some writers include 

 lesions of this general character when found in various internal organs. 



This disease is due to a variety of microorganisms and is probably not 

 specific. Johne found M. ascoformans acting as an etiological factor. Kitt 

 and others found micrococci which could not be distinguished from 

 M . pyo genes var. aureus. Moore found a variety of pyogenic micrococci 

 and streptococci and reports one case of an enlarged spermatic cord 

 where hefound a fungus resembling Actinomyces bovis. 



Body entrance is usually, perhaps always, by way of wound infection. 



GONORRHCEA*. 



Micrococcus gonorrhoea. 



Gonorrhoea is one of the most prevalent of the bacterial diseases and 

 is found throughout the civilized world and is confined to the human 

 race. 



The urogenital tract is the most frequent seat of infection but 

 orchitis, severe conjunctivitis, arthritis and endocarditis are not uncom- 

 mon and a septicsemic condition may also occur. Ophthalmia neona- 

 torum is due to this organism. The ordinary infections of the urogeni- 

 tal tract have an incubation period of from two to eight days. The 

 inflamed mucous membranes give rise to more or less pain and yield a 

 thick yellow discharge. 



While the fatality due directly to Gonococcus infection is not high, the 

 permanent damage of frequent recurrence renders it one of the most 

 important diseases. 



Gonorrhoea has been known from the very earliest times. In 1879 

 the diplococcus was pointed out by Neisser as the probable cause. 

 Bumm in 1885 first cultivated it on coagulated human placental serum. 



The microorganisms can be easily stained in the typical early dis- 

 charges where it occurs in pairs and for the most part within cells (Fig. 100) . 



For isolation, agar media should contain human blood or blood serum or ascitic 

 fluid, though the swine-serum-nutrose medium of Wassermann is also good. The 

 fluid must be sterile and must be added to melted nutrient agar at about 45. The 

 Gonococcus is about 0.6/1 to 0.8/1 in diameter. It is usually seen in pairs; where the 

 adjacent sides of the cocci are flattened the long diameter of the pair reaches as much 

 as i.6/i. Non-motile and does not form spores nor capsules. It stains readily with 



* Prepared by Edward Fidlar. 



