The Effect of Sodium Ricinoleate on the Gonococcus

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Abstract
Na ricin-oleate in very high dilutions, inhibited growth of gonococci on artificial media. Gonococci suspended in 0.1 and 1% solutions of Na ricinoleate were in large part dissolved (as are pneumococci and streptococci). Such suspensions killed mice in smaller doses than suspensions of untreated gonococci. The same result was obtained with gonococci treated with Na ricinoleate for as long as 72 hrs. Ricinoleated gonococci inoculated into rabbits engendered specific agglutinating and complement-fixing antibodies in as high titers as did untreated gonococci. The difference between the effect of Na ricinoleate on the killing power of gonococci, and of streptococci and pneumococci, probably depends on the differences in mechanism of pathogenicity. Evidently, Na ricinoleate does not "detoxify" gonococci, but rather increases their lethal action for mice, and does not destroy their antigenic properties.