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PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS 



by Wertheim/ and consists of a mixture of two or three parts of meat 

 infusion-agar with one part of uncoagulated human ascitic fluid, 

 hydrocele fluid, or blood serum. The agar is melted and cooled to 45° 

 before the serum is added. The mixture may then be slanted in the test 

 tube or poured into a Petri plate. This medium may be improved by 

 the addition to the agar of six per cent of glycerin or one per cent of 



Fig. 81. — Gonococcus. Smear from pure culture. 



glucose. Cultures in fluid media may be obtained by similar addi- 

 tions of serum to meat-infusion-pepton-broth (pepton, one to two 

 per cent) . While human sera may be replaced by animal sera, these 

 in general are not so favorable for growth of the gonococcus. They 

 are useful chiefly in cases where it is difficult to obtain the 

 human serum. Whole rabbit's blood added to agar, or the swine- 



Werthelm, Arch. f. Gynakol., 1892. 



