The capsule of the gonococcus

16 strains of Neisseria gonorrhoeae were subjected to several established techniques for capsule demonstration by light microscopy. In all strains examined, encapsulation of the gonococcus was demonstrated. Although the capsules were somewhat more easily seen in strains recently isolated from clinical material, organisms that had been passaged for several years also were encapsulated as were all the colony types within these strains. The gonococcal capsule is easily disrupted by mechanical forces.