GONOCOCCUS. MENINGOCOCCUS 175 



The following method is recommended by Neisser: 

 The cover-glasses, with some of the urethral discharge 

 smeared upon them, are covered with a few drops of alcoholic 

 solution of eosin, and heated for a few minutes over the flame. 

 The excess of the dye is removed with filter-paper, then the 

 cover-glass placed in concentrated methylene-blue (alcoholic 

 solution) for fifteen seconds, and rinsed in water. 

 The gonococci are colored dark blue, the protoplasm of the 



Fig. 86. Gonococcus in urethral pus (X 1000) (Frankel and Pfeiffer). 



cell pink, and the nucleus a light blue, the gonococci lying 

 in the protoplasm next to the nucleus (Fig. 85). 



Bacterial Diagnosis. Other bacteria are similar to the gon- 

 ococci in form; they are distinguished from the gonococcus 

 in that they are positive with Gram's method. The points 

 on which the diagnosis is to be made are the characteristic 

 biscuit shape, the intracellular position of the organism, its 

 failure to stain with Gram and very difficult to grow artificially 

 on common media. 



