THE GONOCOCCUS GROUP 343 
to desiccation, and cultures die spontaneously within six to eight flays. 
Repeated transfers of the cocci at intervals of two to three days will 
prolong the life of the culture almost indefinitely, provided they are 
maintained at 37° C. The organisms are very readily killed (outside 
the body) by the usual disinfectants. Gonococci in the urethra cannot 
be killed readily by chemical disinfectants; the organisms penetrate 
rather deeply into the walls and the disinfectant cannot reach them in 
sufficient concentration to be effective. This is particularly true during 
the subacute and chronic stages of the disease. 
^ ^41^^ ^^ • 
m 
m 
■•■■''A''- 
0^ ife.' * ''« 
3.r 
'4> 
Fig. 46.— Gonococcus smear of pus from acute case. Methylene blue stain. (Warden.) 
Products of Growth.— No enzymes have been detected in cultures of 
gonococci. Culturally the organism is inert; no development occurs 
in ordinary media. Acid is produced in glucose-ascitic broth, but no 
other sugars are fermented. (See page 340 for comparison of cultural 
characters of the gonococcus and similar Gram-negative diplococci.) 
Toxins.— ^o soluble (exo-) toxin has been demonstrated in cultures 
of gonococci. 
Finger, Ghon and vSchlagenhaufer,i Xicolaysen,^ Wassermann^ and 
de Christmas^ have shown that the cell substance itself is toxic. De 
Christmas has shown that the poisonous substance (endotoxin) 
diffuses readily into the culture medium, probably because of the 
rapid autolysis, which is a noteworthy feature of the organism. The 
endotoxin is fairly resistant to heat; a brief exposure to 120° C. fails 
to entirely destroy its potency. 
1 Arch. f. Derm. u. Syph., 1894, 28, Nos. 1 and 2; Centralbl. f. Bakteriol., 1804, 16, 350. 
2 Centralbl. f. Bakteriol., 1897, 22, 305. 
3 Ztschr. f. Hyg., 1898, 27, 298. 
■• Ann. Inst. Pasteur, 1897, 11, 609; 1900, 14, 331. 
