M1CEOCOCCUS GONORRHCE^E. 295 



the ordinary bouillon may be added in the proportion 

 of one part of the egg-albumin medium to two or three 

 parts of the agar medium or the bouillon, and this he 

 calls the " egg-albumin-agar " or the " egg-albumin- 

 bouillon" media, on which micrococcns gonorrhoese grows 

 very satisfactorily. The special advantages claimed for 

 this medium are that it can be prepared at any time and 

 without difficulty, is quite clear and transparent, and 

 permits, where agar-agar is used, the employment of 

 the medium for the study of colony formations. 



If transplanted from the original culture to either 

 glycerin-agar-agar or to Loffler's serum-mixture, a 

 growth is sometimes observed, more often in the latter 

 than in the former, but of so feeble a nature that these 

 substances cannot be regarded as suitable for its culti- 

 vation. As a rule, development does not occur on 

 glycerin-agar. 



Microscopic examination of colonies of this organism 

 reveals the presence of a diplococcus somewhat larger 

 than the ordinary pyogenic cocci. The opposed sur- 

 faces of the individual cells that comprise the couplets 

 are flattened and separated by a narrow slit. At times 

 the cocci are arranged as tetrads. 



This organism cannot be grown at a temperature 

 lower than that of the human body, and cultures that 

 have been obtained by either of the favorable methods 

 are said to lose their vitality when kept at ordinary 

 room-temperature for about two days. 



It is killed in a few hours by drying. 



Cultures retain their vitality under favorable condi- 

 tions of nutrition, temperature, and moisture for from 

 three to four weeks. 



