Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a method, reagents and apparatus for the rapid (one to four hours) identification of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis from cultures grown on a selective or a non-selective medium. One drop of growth suspended in sterile salt solution is placed in each of a plurality of miniature reaction chambers supported on a common base and incubated at 35.degree.-37.degree. C. for one to four hours. A dried substrate and buffer is contained in each chamber. A detector reagent such as a diazo dye in an aqueous solution with a polar solvent is added to each chamber after incubation. The color change in each chamber is noted and compared with a profile to identify N. gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis. Synthetic substrates rather than sugars are used in the reaction chambers. The substrates are naphthyl derivatives, .beta.-naphthyl or .beta.-naphthylamides, and are(1) .beta.-naphthyl-.beta.,D-galactopyranoside(2) N-L-.lambda.-glutamyl-.beta.