A Contribution to the Study of Meningococci

Abstract

It has been shown by numerous observers that well-marked serological differences are found between different strains of meningococci. And since the work of Dopter on the relation of “parameningococci” to meningococci and to cerebro-spinal fever, there has arisen a fairly general agreement that among meningococci capable of causing cerebrospinal meningitis two broadly separable groups can be defined by immunological methods. But beyond this point considerable divergences of opinion appear. On the one hand there are a number of recent workers who have failed to convince themselves that the two groups of meningococci are in reality clearly delimited, permanent and independent entities. On the other hand certain other workers claim to have still further subdivided these micro-organisms into four definite and independent types, each of which possesses in itself the value of a bacterial species [cp. Andrewes (1917)].