MICROCOCCUS GONORRHEA 97 



contact, schools, for example. It is supposed to be 

 transmitted by water-closet seats and directly from 

 child to child. It may be spread by bedclothes, towels, 

 clothing, basins, bed-pans, and in other ways. Children 

 have been known to contract the affection by occupy- 

 ing the same bed as an infected person. Efforts to 

 eradicate this vulvovaginitis should be directed toward 

 removing the source. This is sometimes impossible, 

 since it cannot always be found. It is much better to 

 institute a strict quarantine of every little girl admitted 

 to a ward by using separate bed and body clothing and 

 utensils. She should be examined by the house physi- 

 cian upon admission, and if necessary, proper bacterio- 

 logical examinations made. If affected, such objects 

 that are used on her as can be burned should be so 

 disposed of. Others should be soaked in carbolic acid 

 solution for at least twenty-four hours. It is the 

 practice in many places to place on all female children 

 a T-binder, which is burned upon removal. Patients 

 must not be allowed to go to the water-closet, but a 

 bed-pan used, to be later disinfected by appropriate 

 solutions. Flaming objects, such as a bed-pan, is an 

 excellent method of disinfection. The curious part 

 about the transmission of vulvovaginitis is that its 

 causative agent, presumably always the gonococcus, 

 is either in a highly resistant state, or it is protected 

 in some manner, since agencies, such as drying, that 

 will kill the bacterium under ordinary conditions 

 seem to have little or no effect upon it. 



The gonococcus was first described by Neisser in 

 1879. It is classified, and correctly, among the round 

 organisms or cocci, although it is usually seen in pairs 

 7 



