IO6 CLINICAL BACTERIOLOGY AND H^EMATOLOGY 



STAINING OF FILMS. 



One film is to be stained by a simple stain such as methylene 

 blue or carbol thionin. The other is to be stained by Gram's 

 method, and then in neutral red or dilute carbol fuchsin for 

 half a minute. 



Examination of Films. First take the specimen in which 

 the simple stain has been used, and examine it with the oil- 

 immersion lens. You will see that it shows numberless cells 

 with very irregularly lobed nuclei; these are the pus cells or 

 polymorphonuclear leucocytes. There will also be some flat 

 squamous epithelial cells. 



The gonococci will be stained even deeper than the cell 

 nuclei, and will be mostly contained within the pus cells. If 

 you see a cell which contains numerous small blue or violet 

 granules, bring it into the centre of the field and examine it 

 more thoroughly, to see whether the granules have the char- 

 acters of the organism which we are about to describe. 



The gonococcus is a large diplococcus, each component of 

 the pair being shaped like a kidney, the hilum being turned 

 toward that of its fellow. Single forms (which may be 

 rounded) and tetrads are sometimes seen. It does not stain 

 by Gram's method, and this is one of its most important 

 features. Another important point is its arrangement ; during 

 the height of an attack of gonorrhoea it is almost entirely 

 intracellular, being contained w T ithin the polymorphonuclear 

 leucocytes. Further, several pairs occur in each cell, and the 

 great majority of cells are entirely devoid of cocci (Plate III., 

 Fig. 2). 



If the organism which you find possesses these character- 

 istics turn to the specimen which has been stained by Gram's 

 method and counterstained by carbol fuchsin (Plate I., Fig. 6). 

 In this all bacteria which retain Gram's stain will be coloured 

 violet, while organisms which do not retain it will be red. 

 You must, therefore, search for groups of diplococci con- 

 tained within the cells and possessing the above character- 

 istics. They will not be so prominent as in the other speci- 

 men, for the cells, nuclei, etc., will be coloured red also, and 

 the contrast is not so great. But if the case is one of gonor- 

 rhoea, you will find them after a careful search. 



If the films came from a female, you will probably find the 



