MICROCOCCUS GONORRHG@. 533 
not present. Heiman was able to confirm the correct- 
ness of the above allusion, for on one occasion, in 
examining threads, when he could not demonstrate the 
gonococcus in cover-glass preparations, he succeeded in 
growing it on chest-serum-agar plates, while in all 
instances in which he found the gonococcus in threads 
in cover-glass preparations he invariably succeeded in 
growing it on chest-serum-agar plates. The culture 
methods, of course, presuppose that one has the facili- 
ties and knowledge to carry them out successfully, other- 
wise the microscopical methods are to be used alone. 
In acute cases the specimen for examination may be 
collected, when the patient is before one, by passing a 
sterilized platinum wire loop as far up into the urethra 
as possible and withdrawing some of the secretion. 
This is a far less satisfactory method than that sug- 
gested by Heiman, by ‘‘ centrifuging,” except when 
the pus is abundant. 
The Frequency with which Gonococci are Found in 
Smears or Cultures in Cases of Chronic Urethritis. 
Heiman found in 61 cases 14 by cultures and 13 by 
smears. The following results were obtained by other 
observers by cover-glass preparations: Goll, accord- 
ing to his elaborate article, examined 1046 cases of 
chronic urethritis varying in duration between four 
weeks to six years or more, finding gonococci in 178 
cases, the remainder giving negative results. Neisser, 
out of 1438 cases varying in duration between two 
months and eight years, found gonococci in 80 cases. 
Weinrich, out of 25 similar cases, obtained 2 positive 
results. E. Noeggerath, in 1887, deplored the fact 
that on account of the lack of culture media for 
the7gonococcus we cannot always demonstrate them. 
