222 



BACTERIOLOGY OF THE EYE 



(Arch, of Oph., 1905, xxxiv., p. 48) in 100 cases of conjunctivitis found one with the 

 Micr. intracellularis meningitidis, in a woman who had nursed a case of menin- 

 gitis. An exact cultural differential diagnosis was not made. 



In a child of twenty-five months, who had a typical cerebro-spinal meningitis, 

 Gabrielides found the true Meningococci in the cerebro-spinal fluid ; and on the 

 inflamed conjunctiva, along with numerous xerose bacilli and Pneumococci, he 

 obtained, partly inside and partly outside the cells, Gram-negative Diplococci, 

 which in every cultural peculiarity resembled those found in the dural sac. As 

 the conjunctivitis occurred during a meningitis, and at the time there was no 

 possibility of a gonorrhceal infection, this is proof of meningococcal infection. 



E. S. Thomson reports that among 400 cases of blennorrhcea (Amer. Med. Assoc., 

 Sect, of Oph., 1906) he saw the Meningococcus ' two or three times.' He gives no 

 further details. 



G. Canby Robinson [Fifteen Cases of epidemic cerebro-spinal Meningitis, with 



especial reference to the Isolation of 

 the Meningococcus from the circu- 

 lating blood (Amer. Jour, of Med. 

 Sc., April, 1906, ref. Ophthalmology, 

 1906, ii., p. 659)] obtained typical 

 Meningococci from the purulent 

 secretion of a conjunctivitis in a 

 patient suffering from typical epi- 

 demic meningitis. In three further 

 cases these were not to be obtained. 1 



FIG. 45. MENINGOCOCCI IN. THE CONJUNC- 

 TIVAL SECRETION OF A CHILD WITH SIMUL- 

 TANEOUS XEROSIS AND KERATOMALACIA. 

 ASCITES AGAR CULTURE. (GRAM STAIN, 

 SAFRANIN COUNTERSTAIN.) x 1,000. 



The fact that the Meningo- 

 coccus can be found in the 

 secretion of the naso-pharynx, 

 not only in cases of meningitis, 

 but also in healthy individuals, 

 is of especial importance with 

 regard to the occurrence of the 

 Meningococcus in the eye. This 

 distribution, which has been 

 proved by "VVeichselbaum, 

 Albrecht and Ghon, Jager, 



Fliigge, and others, is, however, according to the researches of von 



Lingelsheim, Ostermann, Westenhoefer, and Hasslauer, 2 restricted to 



persons in the neighbourhood of meningitis patients. 



We cannot assume a free, general distribution of the Meningococcus 



in the healthy nasal cavity, and the records which state this are due 



to a confusion with the Micrococcus catarrhalis. 



The opinion that the Meningococcus would often be found upon the 



conjunctiva, an opinion based on this communication of Heubner's, 



must be corrected ; it is, on the contrary, but rarely found in this 



1 Of. records of Meninyococci in metastatic ophthalmia during cerebro-spinal meningitis. 



2 Cf. Zewtr.f. Bakt,, Grig., 1906, xli., S. 796. 



