214 BACTEEIOLOGY OF THE EYE 



Numerous inoculations of pure cultures of living Gonococci on the 

 human urethra have always produced a typical blennorrhcea (Bumm 

 and others). Urethral inoculations with the allied Mcningococcus 

 produce no result. 1 



Microscopical investigations regarding the relationships of the 

 Gonococci in the human conjunctiva have been made by Bumm and 

 confirmed by Schridde, who found that the cocci occurred freely 

 between the loosened epithelial cells, but here and there they had 

 made their way into the subepithelial tissues. 



Other Gram-Negative Diplocoeci. 



Bumm gives the first records of other Gram-negative Diplocoeci. 

 According to him, the following organisms occur : 



1. Micrococcus albicans amplus (morphologically larger than the 

 Gonococcus, grows on gelatine at room temperature, without lique- 

 faction). 



2. Diplococcus albicans tardissimus (morphologically resembles the 

 Gonococcus, but is able to grow slowly on gelatine). 



3. Micrococcus subflavus (a coccus which grows in the form of a 

 yellowish smear at room temperature, and in its culture is very like 

 the Staph. albus, but does not liquefy gelatine, and is not so patho- 

 genic). 



Later authors (cf. Fliigge ' Micro-organisms ' Menge and Kronig, 

 Steinschneider) rightly controvert the statement that with Gram's 

 stain the organisms mentioned decolorize to the same extent as do 

 the Gonococci. We can leave aside the four cocci described by Gilford, 

 as they only decolorized after the continued action of the absolute 

 alcohol, and not with the classical method of applying the Gram 

 stain (cf. ' Technique,' p. 6). When working in Haab's clinic at the 

 disinfection of the conjunctiva, Marthen three times found Gram- 

 negative cocci, which were nearly related to one of Krukenberg's 

 varieties. Marthen's isolated statement found no credence, as he and 

 others stated that the Sarcina aurantiaca was decolorized by Gram, 

 while everywhere it was represented as Gram-positive. 



A Gram-positive Sarcina has since then been discovered ; 2 we 

 therefore must not necessarily doubt these findings of Gram-negative 

 Diplocoeci, even though their classification be difficult. The coccus 

 which Marthen found was probably the Micrococcus catarrhalis. 



1 Zupnik, Berl. klin. Woch., 1906, 52. 



2 Nagano, Zent.f. Bakt., Orig., 1905, xxxii. 341. A similar case is shown on Plate II. 



