Penicillin is a type of antibiotic. It is used to fight infections. It was the first antibiotic that was successful to treat a life-threatening disease in the human body.

During the late 1900’s, many hospital patients were dying because of bacterial infections during surgery. They were able to stop some bacteria by using clean surgical instruments and keeping the wounds clean. What was really needed was medicine that could be taken inside the body that would destroy bacteria.

Dr. Alexander Fleming worked to discover this medicine in London during the 1920’s. In an experiment, he was surprised to find that something produced by mold destroyed bacteria. That something was penicillin. This new breakthrough destroyed meningitis, diphtheria and pneumonia bacteria. Best of all, it was not harmful to humans. It was too bad though that most of the doctors did not accept penicillin because they believed that once bacteria entered the body, nothing could be done.

Years later Dr. Howard Florey and Dr. Ernst Chain were able to develop a powdered form of penicillin. In 1941, the first man was successfully treated. Before long, penicillin was used everywhere. Dr. Fleming, Dr. Florey and Dr. Chain were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1945.

Penicillin has an amazing strength in destroying many of the bacteria that have plagued mankind for thousands of years. Penicillin has saved countless lives.  

Credits

Books & Electronic Media 

Page Wise, Inc. "The History of Penicillin"  2004.
<http://oh.essortment.com/historyofpen_pnd.htm> (January, 2003).

Images

Image of poured medicine from "Animation Library" <http://www.animationlibrary.com/a-l/> Image free for non-profit and personal use. (January-February, 2004).

Image of medal and test tubes from "Microsoft Office Online" <http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?cag=1>
Images free for non-profit and personal use.   (January, 2004).

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