Penicillin Man: Alexander Fleming and the Antibiotic Revolution

by Kevin Brown

The time may come when penicillin can easily be bought by anyone in the shops. Then there is the danger that the ignorant man may easily underdose himself and by exposing his microbes to non-lethal quantities of the drug make them resistant. . .Mr X has a sore throat. He buys penicillin and gives himself not enough to kill the streptococci but enough to educate them to resist penicillin. He then infects his wife. Mrs X gets pneumonia and is treated with penicllin. As the streptococci are now resistant to penicillin the treatment fails. Mrs X dies. Who is primarily responsible for Mrs X's death? Why Mr X. whose negligent use of penicillin changed the nature of the microbe. if you use penicillin, use enough.' Fleming, in his Nobel Lecture, 1945.

Genres: Science, Biography, History, Medicine, Nonfiction

376 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Kevin Brown is an expert on the history of health and medicine. He has written and lectured extensively at home in the UK and abroad, on land and at sea on a wide range of topics linked to medical and maritime history. He is Archivist to Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Curator of the Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum, St Mary’s Hospital London.

Reviews

[Jill]

Interesting history about the discovery of penicillin and the development of antibiotics and the very important role they played in the second world war. Fleming was a humble, complex and dedicated scientist who predicted that the penicillin mould could be used to kill bacteria. His academic achievements were incredible and the book outlines his studies and the role he - and other scientists - played in developing antibiotics, even in the primitive conditions of the 1930s and 40s. The competition between scientists at Oxford, St Mary's hospital (where Fleming was based) and the Americans is fascinating. Ultimately, penicillin saved - and continues to save - millions of lives thanks to the likes of inquiring minds like that of Alexander Fleming.

[Miguel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very relevant given the problem of antibiotic resistance in the current century. A thoroughly documented text on the life of big-hearted, Penicillin discoverer Alexander Fleming. Complete with accounts of chemical purification by Florey and the industrial production of antibiotics at Pfizer, Merck and other companies.

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does what it says on the tin. Incredibly well-researched.

[Mark]

Hardback copy.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice historical book on what is easily one of the most important and influential discoveries this century.

[Rik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Required reading for any one who used antibiotics.