The production of penicillin shifted the use of antibiotics in the medical field. As one of the most common antibiotic substances, penicillin fights unwanted and harmful bacterias. Before it became a bacteria-reducing medicine, it began as mold sitting in a petri dish in the laboratory of Andrew Fleming. Numerous scientists such as Dr. Howard Florey and Andrew J. Moyer held significant positions in the widespread use of penicillin. Events leading up to the common use of penicillin began with the discovery, early development and the first uses, and the common purpose of the mold as a usable and effective medicine.
The initial discovery of Penicillium notatum, the mold penicillin is derived from, is arguably the most fundamental event in the development of penicillin as a whole. More often than not, a bacteriologist known as Andrew Fleming is credited for the discovery of penicillin, even though the discovery was an accident (Connors 125). After being absent for a month, Fleming’s observations describe him coming back to a dish filled with mold and bacteria because it had been left out in the open. The article “Not-So-Dumb-Luck”
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recreates his findings by stating, “Fleming saw a ring around the mold. After some experimentation, he found that the ring was bacteria-free, and that the mold was a rare spore called Penicillium notatum” (Lane 121). Fleming, although it was an accident, spotted a new substance that was free of any bacteria. By later declaring the possible therapeutic uses of penicillin if produced in larger quantities, Fleming opened the doors to infinite research and an intense medical breakthrough that would maximize the true potential of what was originally just mold. The first discovery was a key step towards the use of penicillin as it is today. Following the discovery of penicillin came the urgent demand of the substance, leading to its first use in 1939. “As the war with Germany continued to drain industrial and government resources, the British scientists could not produce the quantities of penicillin needed for clinical trials on humans and turned to the United States to help” (Bellis 123). Dr. Howard Florey and and Norman Heatley took their work to the United States as the need for penicillin increased. Their studies were very influential in the use of penicillin as a bacteria-fighting agent. Stated in “The Discovery of Penicillin: The True Story” by Brittany Connors, “When they finally determined a way for penicillin to be safely administered to humans, the drug was mass-produced and used on the war front” (126). By utilizing penicillin in a way that was focused on the medical necessities, Florey expanded the life-saving resources of World War II. Penicillin was then greatly used throughout the war. Although the original use of penicillin isn’t exactly what it is known as today, the urgent need for the product opened the doors to its modern use. The common use of penicillin as it is known worldwide came as the production increased.
Under the scientific expertise of Andrew J. Moyer, Penicillin was tested clinically before being issued to people, and, through research, was proven to be the most efficient antibiotic substance, even compared to more modern data (Bellis 123). Moyer’s studies pushed penicillin into the common world, and demand rapidly increased. An increase in production causes an decrease in price, as shown by Bellis in “The History of Penicillin”. “As production increased, the price dropped from nearly priceless in 1940, to $20 per dose in July 1943, to $0.55 per dose by 1946” (124). More penicillin was produced, therefore the uses expanded and the price decreased. The original mass-production of penicillin began the continuous usage, even about eighty years
later. Penicillin is used from nation to nation. Its common use came to be through events displayed by great scientists. The discovery, original use, and mass-production of penicillin led to the modern use of it as common medicine today. “Perhaps the most compelling fact about penicillin is that it went on to save hundreds of thousands of lives during World War II, and has continued to forestall infectious diseases ever since” (Lane 122).
The Factor of War in the Development of Penicillin The discovery, development and subsequent use of penicillin can be considered to be one of the most important breakthroughs in medical history. There were many factors, which were involved in the development of penicillin, and it could be argued that war was the most important, but other factors were also responsible. Alexander Fleming was working in London as a bacteriologist in 1928 when he noticed that a growth of a mould called penicillin produced a substance that actually killed the germs he was working on. He realised that this might be very important and a year later he wrote an article about his findings. However, Fleming did not have the facilities or the support to develop and test his idea that penicillin could fight infection, and he didn't develop it further.
Adegoke AA, Tom M, Okoh AI, Jacob S (2010) Studies on multiple antibiotic resistant bacterial isolated from surgical site infection. Scient Res. Essays 5:3876-81.
Penicillin, derived from the mold Penicillium, is the first antibiotic to successfully treat bacterial infections on humans. It was accidentally discovered by scientist, Alexander Fleming. While Fleming was growing Staphylococcus, a serious and often deadly infection, in a dish, he noticed the bacteria had stopped growing after a mold found its way
Risperdal Risperidone is an atypical antipsychotic used to alleviate the symptoms of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is defined by its effects in altering perception, thoughts, or consciousness called hallucinations or delusions. It affects about 1% of the population, with about 2 million people affected in the United States. About 50% of those affected become severely and permanently disabled and dependent upon public assistance. Schizophrenics make up about 10% of the totally disabled population and as much as 14% of the homeless.
Years later other scientists were also intrigued by the possibilities of penicillin and produced enough penicillin to prove that it was a useable antibiotic. The scientists from Great Britain were developing all of this during World War II, and unfortunately funding for their drug was unavailable due to the war. They decided to bring their concepts to the United States, and once enough was made, it was eventually used, to treat wounded soldiers during World War I.
Tobramycin (Tobi, Tobrex) is an Aminoglycoside broad-spectrum antibiotic. It is effective against “gram-negative bacillary infections, and infections caused by staphylococci when penicillin or other less toxic drugs are contraindicated.” (Vallerand, Sanoski, & Deglin, 2013, p.131) Tobramycin is commonly inhaled to manage the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with Cystic fibrosis.
The natural components of antibiotics have been used as local remedies long before humans understood the reasons why these sometimes-radical treatments worked. Penicillin became the first manufactured antibiotic after physician Alexander Fleming published articles regarding this bacteria-disabling mold in 1928. Come 1932, penicillin was commonly used to treat infected war injuries, saving the lives of unnumbered soldiers (Lewis). Since then, penicillin has b...
In the late 1800’s it was discovered that papa-amino-phenol, could reduce fever, but the drug was too toxic to use. A less toxic extract called phenacetin was later found to be just as effective but also had pain-relieving properties. In 1949, it was learned that phenacetin was metabolized into an active but also less toxic drug, acetaminophen. Since then, acetaminophen has been sold under many over the counter brand names, most popular being Tylenol.
Penicillin is the reason people lived healthy and long lives. Sick, cold, and sore, are feelings people have when they are sick. If people were to become sick and penicillin was not around they would have those feelings for a longer duration. Penicillin was an idea that belonged to a famous scientist by the name of Sir Alexander Fleming. Penicillin was just the slightest of idea in Fleming’s mind after he married his wife who had the profession of a nurse. Fleming made penicillin after conducting test on accidentally infected fungus inhabited plates. He tried washing the fungus of with disinfectant, then he noticed a yellow-green zone around the fungus. He came up with the conclusion that penicillin’s main goal would be to eliminate the outer weak ring
Ernest Chain and Howard Florey with the knowledge of Flemings work were able to successfully purify an extract of penicillin for testing. The tested it in 1940 on mice, they concluded that those who were given the penicillin lived whereas the others did not. Later in 1945 all three men received the Nobel Prize for their contr...
The controversy regarding the sub-therapeutic use of antibiotics in animal feeds is that “super-bugs” are able to evolve. This is a threat to both the health of the animals and humans. What a “super-bug” refers to is a strain of bacteria that has evolved to be resistant to bacteria and lethal to the host organism. These super-bugs account for the death of roughly 48,000 Americans each year (Adams, 2013). These superbugs proliferate in the digestive tracts of hosts. Each dose of antibiotics in the animals’ diets at sub-therapeutic levels increases the likelihood of antibiotic resistance bacteria to evolve. The antibiotics kill the antibiotic sensitive bacteria, but bacteria that are resistant proliferate in the gut of the animals. When these antibiotic resistant bacteria are left to grow in the gut, they can cause infection to the animal or people that consume the animal as food (Falco, 2013, Amachawadl et. al. 2013). Antibiotic-resistance can also be conferred through horizontal gene transfer and other methods, making the mere existence of such bacteria a threat that should not be taken lightly.
4) Zajicek, Gershom. “The Antibiotic Paradox: How Miracle Drugs Are Destroying the Miracle”. Plenum Press, N.Y. 1992.
Alexander Fleming started the history of antibiotics in the 1920's with his discovery of penicillin.When penicillin was first discovered and used widely, it was touted as a wonder drug, and consequently was used as one.Though not necessarily harmful to the patient penicillin was used for much more infections than it was able to combat.Today the same practice is observed in the medical profession, however at this point it is due more to the detriment of an uneducated public.Studies have been carried out that show the huge over usage of antibiotics.In the seventies Soyka et al, concluded, "60% of physicians surveyed gave antibiotics for the treatment of the common cold."[3], and by common knowledge the common cold is a virus, something that cannot be treated by an antibiotic.Nyquist
Discovery and Development of Penicillin. (2014, April 4). Retrieved from American Chemical Society International Historic Chemical Landmarks: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/flemingpenicillin.html
At his Nobel Peace Prize speech in 1945, Alexander Fleming warned against the misuse of antibiotics and the fact that by doing this, one allows the bacteria to ‘become educated’ and therefore become resistant to the antibiotic. It is believed that the first cases of antibiotic resistance were shortly after this speech. (Fleming, 1945)