World War II: How Penicillin Saved American Life

Penicillin is an antibiotic that kills bacteria, sufficiently treating any injuries. This drug was invented before the war, but had its major outbreak during World War II. Once scientists discovered the potential of penicillin, they aggressively started to pursue methods to mass produce the drug. The mass production of penicillin saved many American lives and led to our victory during World War II.

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

into the dish (Ward, 50-51). The mold turned out to be penicillium notatum and produced a substance that destroyed the bacteria. Then, Doctors Howard Florey and Ernest Chain worked with Fleming to isolate the substance that destroyed bacteria, which later became known as penicillin. The drug quickly gained popularity because of its high activity rate and low toxicity. Penicillin was able to cure many diseases such as staphylococci, osteomyelitis, supprative arthritis, and bronchitis (Conniff, 2013). This would be deemed beneficial for the American Army since the drug could be used as treatment for various diseases and infections.
Penicillin was effective in treating wounds.

It kills bacteria by competing with it for food, The bacteria around the fungus are destroyed as penicillin is released. The penicillin kills the mold by stopping its cell walls from forming. This results in the cells bursting and dying (Ward, 50-51). During World War II, penicillin was used in place of surgery due to the lack of doctors. The drug obviated the need for many amputations because it could neutralize the bacteria that caused dead tissue responsible for limb removals (Conniff, 2013). A letter sent home from a soldier, Murphy, demonstrates an example of this. “At first they thought they would have the take his leg off… it was long before they really could treat him… But they started treating him with the new ‘wonder drug’ penicillin and it brought him around ok” (Higginbotham, 2001). In addition to eliminating amputations, penicillin made infections less painful to handle. Surgeons commonly treated wounds by draining them and leaving them open to heal. Infections were common and often deadly, recovery wound take months. However, after the distribution of penicillin, surgeons simply drained the wound, sprinkled penicillin powder, and stitched the wound close (Conniff, 2013). Thousands of soldiers who escaped death or amputation owed their well-being to the mass production of

penicillin.
Once penicillin’s power was recognized, the demand for the antibiotic was enormous. As a result, researchers developed a way to mass produce the antibiotic. At first, the production of penicillin was slow and inadequate. Penicillium mold would only develop on surfaces and only a small amount of penicillin could be extracted from the mold. Because of this, penicillin was very costly, starting at $45,000 a pound (Grimsley, 2013). Doctors even went to extremes to conserve penicillin. They treasured penicillin so dearly that they would collect the urine of patients and purify the excreted antibiotic to reuse it, and an excessive amount of sulfa was used in place of penicillin, but it only halted the infection and wasn’t capable of reversing them. That’s when American researchers were urged to be more aggressive in pursuing penicillin research. This led to the creation of Peoria labs, which allowed scientists to grow penicillium mold in large drums that were constantly agitated and aerated. This method increased the surface area on which the mold needed to flourish. As a result, penicillin production sky-rocketed. Supplies rose from 21 billion units in 1943 to 1,633 billion units in 1944, and to a whopping 7,052 units in 1945 (Grimsley, 2013). Penicillin became a cost-effective drug and was easily accessible. The U.S Army was able to purchase 150 million units per week for hospital use. By 1994, the army was receiving 85 percent of all American penicillin output, and by the end of 1950, there were sufficient amounts to meet worldwide demand (Ward, 50-51). As penicillin became more affordable and accessible, the American Army took advantage of this and utilized it to treat injuries of myriads of soldiers.
The drug played an important role during the war. American fighting men had a greatly increased chance of surviving injuries thanks to the wonder drug. Among American personnel, the drug cured roughly 95 percent of wound infections so men could often return to duty, and 10 to 15 percent of wounded U.S service men eluded death. (Grimsely, 2013). The Allies were able to fight their way across Europe because of the large supply of penicillin during D-Day in Normandy. As more soldiers were able to recover, the more were able to fight in battle. After Normandy landings, the lifesaving effects of penicillin allowed them to push the Nazis east from Normandy to Rhine (Conniff, 2013). Penicillin was the turning point of World War II. Numerous Allied lives were saved, which allowed them the push Germany back.
The introduction of antibiotics such as penicillin distinguished World War II from previous wars. Mortality rates decreased. For example, abdominal injuries decreased from 66% during World War I to 24% during World War II, about two-thirds less. Chest injuries had a 62% mortality rate during the Civil War and 25% in World War I. World War II had only a 10% death rate (Murray, -). Soldiers were also less likely to die of disease. Diseases such as influenza, pneumonia, and bronchitis, killed almost 50,000 U.S soldiers in World War I. During World War II, with twice as many soldiers, only 1,265 had died (Conniff, 2013). In World War I, 8% were wounded, and in World War II, only 4.5% were wounded (Murray, -). Penicillin substantially decreased the death rates from injuries during World War II.
Penicillin is more than just an antibiotic or a mold. It is a revolutionary discovery that saved countless American lives and led to the Allies victory during World War II. Penicillin was effective in treating wounds. As a result, a soldier's chance of surviving increased and mortality rates decreased. This is all thanks to the mass production of the wonder drug, penicillin.