Penicillin

Penicillin

1. Fleming

   • First to publish findings on penicillin although...
     • 1870s - Sanderson observed that very little grew near penicillin mould
     • Lister successfully used on a nurse but took it no further
     • He was first to realise the potential significance
   • Sent to work in a hospital (WW1)
   • Working to kill staphylococcus germ
   • Mould grew mistakenly on a germ plate and he realised that it had killed the germs (1928)
   • 1929 - Published a report of his findings
     • No one took notice at the time

2. Florey and Chain

   • Became interested in penicillin in the 1930s
     • Fleming had since lost interest
     • Applied to government for money to begin research
       • Received only £25 but were lucky to get this much as by 1939, WWII had begun
   • Despite the lack of money, they managed to produce enough to test on 8 mice
     • This was successful
     • Needed 3000 times more to test on a human
   • Over some months they collected enough penicillin to use on one human
     • The man they tested on was a man called Albert Alexander (1940)
     • The treatment was successful until they ran out and he passed away
       • However it was successful as it proved penicillin's success
   • 1941 - US government approached for funding to mass produce and it was given
   • 1943 - enough to treat 1000 men, by 1944 - enough to treat 40,000 cases, at the end of the war - enough for 250,000

3. Importance of penicillin

   • 15% of soldiers could have died without it
   • After the war, the antibiotic was made widely available and saved the lives of millions
   • The diseases that penicillin treats includes bronchitis, pneumonia and meningitis
   • More antibiotics followed including mitomycin in 1956 which is a chemotherapy drug
   • 1000s of injured soldiers could return to battle more quickly