102 BACTERIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS. 
may be due to gonorrhcea, chancre, soft sore, or to a 
non-specific balanitis, a similar method is adopted, but 
here many.films should be taken, as a prolonged search 
may be required. If the patient suffers from a slight 
discharge in the early morning the best plan is to give 
him two clean slides. These are to be smeared across. 
the meatus whilst wet with the discharge and allowed 
to dry. 
In the female it is necessary to obtain the pus directly 
from the urethra; it may be expressed by the finger in 
the vagina. The first drop should be rejected. 
If the patient is suffering from cervicitis or endo- 
metritis the pus should be taken direct from the cervix, 
a speculum being used. 
It is absolutely necessary that you should spread the 
films at once, even if you are having the examination 
made at a distance. It is next to useless to send pus 
dried on linen, cotton-wool, a Volkmann’s spoon, or 
even in a thick layer on a-slide. The diagnosis may be 
made from material sent in this way, but the difficulties 
are much greater, and in some cases the results are less. 
certain. 
Preparation of films from conjunctival pus presents. 
no difficulties. The same is true of pus from the tubes 
or other internal regions, whether it is exposed by 
operative interference or at a post-mortem examination. 
Instructions for the examination of the blood are 
given subsequently. A considerable number of films 
should be taken, as the cocci are present in but very 
small numbers. 
The urine may be examined in the female if a local 
examination is not considered advisable, or in the male 
to obtain evidences as to whether the disease is cured 
or not. The morning urine should be examined. It 
