World War 2 Penicillin Research Paper

If Alexander Fleming didn’t notice that there was something strange with the petri dish that contained Penicillium notatum, then the a big majority of people would not be alive today. Penicillin is antibiotic or group of antibiotics produced from specific blue molds. It can treat certain infections such as ear, throat, and skin infections, it can also be used to treat rheumatic fever and chorea, because of penicillin the death rate of people dying from these bacterial infections has incredibly decreased. Penicillin is one of the most important discoveries of medicine that has made an important impact because of how it changed the course of medicine, how it affected the World War 2, and how it changed the world globally.

First, the discovery of penicillin has been named the most important discovery of the millennium, it has created a path for new antibiotics to be discovered and so on and so forth. For example, Theodore C. Eickhoff states “ The discovery of penicillin changed the world of medicine enormously. With its development, infections that were previously severe and often fatal like bacterial endocarditis, bacterial meningitis and pneumococcal pneumonia could be easily treated” (“Accidental Discovery” 2). This quote shows that the discovery of penicillin has definitely made an impact in the medical community by curing infections that could not be curable until the discovery of penicillin. Theodore C. Eickhoff also states that “ This quickly led to a number of pharmaceutical activity, which led to a whole new host of antibiotics, such as streptomycin, aminoglycosides, tetracycline and the like. Penicillin clearly led the way in that development” ( “Accidental Discovery” 3). Penicillin has led to new antibiotics being created which helps cure more bacterial infections and can one day be able to cure most of the bacterial infections we have today. Finally, Theodore C. Eickhoff states “ It is really impossible for me to imaging what the world would be like without penicillin. I question whether there would be a discipline of infectious diseases as we know it today” (“Accidental Discovery” 3). If there was no penicillin then the death toll of people dying from bacterial infections would be incredibly high, and there wouldn’t be as much of a concern for these bacterial infections.
Next, during World War 2 penicillin played a vital role in saving the lives of many wounded soldiers, because of penicillin this gave soldiers a second chance to live, while also helping the next generation to come.

World War 2 gave penicillin a chance to show the world that this was indeed a miracle drug by showing its worth, and it proved worthy. For example, “ Penicillin was so effective that production increased from 400 million units in early 1943 to more than 650 billion units per month by the end of the war in 1945” ( “Penicillin: World War 2” 1). Since the production of penicillin increased this showed the effectiveness of penicillin which in returned showed that penicillin could be used worldwide making a global impact. Using penicillin made it uncomplicated for doctors to treat their patients more swiftly. In addition, “ By attacking open wounds with antiseptics, army doctors were able to revitalize troops more quickly” ( “Penicillin: World War 2” 2). Because they were able to revitalize troops more swiftly, the soldiers would be able to get back into combat faster and waste less time than if there was no penicillin. Thanks to penicillin the death rate has incredibly decreased for bacterial infections. Furthermore, “In the war penicillin proved its mettle. “Throughout history, the major killer in wars had been infection rather than battle injuries. In World War 1, the death rate from bacterial pneumonia was 18 percent; in World War II, it fell, to less than 1 percent” ( World First Antibiotic” 2). This quote shows that penicillin is truly effective and that it can be used to assist additional people around the

globe.
rial infections and finding ways to manage it as there is today which in return would let to more deaths than there already are.