LIFE OF PENICILLIN: THE INNOVATOR NEVER GAVE UP

LIFE OF PENICILLIN: THE INNOVATOR NEVER GAVE UP

Stephy Susan Sam - MDCCC-141

Alexander Fleming served throughout the First World War and witnessed the deaths of many soldiers from sepsis. He observed that the antiseptics were of no use for treatment but worsened the condition. But many physicians still used antiseptics for treatment.

It was time for us to enter. We grew and destroyed some of the staphylococcus bacteria that were cultured by Flemming before going on vacation with his family. When Flemming came back from his holidays, he observed us and thought it funny. We thought he would throw us out, but luckily he grew many similar to us and discovered our potential that we didn't even know. He initially named us mould juice but later changed it to "Penicillin". Flemming presented his new research, but they didn't see as much importance in us as Flemming saw in us. Information about our article also paid little attention. Isolating and producing us in large amounts was one of the difficulties. The medical community saw us as useless.  Flemming gained help from Harold Raistrick. But they concluded that our chemical purification was futile. And we were forgotten throughout the 1930s. But our innovator didn't give up. He believed in our potential. He started using us clinically in 1929. He used us on a patient with a severe infection in the nasal cavity, but we couldn't do much. Flemming thought that the bacteria were resistant to us. That time, we came to know we had forefathers who worked with Cecil George Pain to treat conjunctivitis eye infection. Yea, it was in 1932 that we could successfully treat someone with a conjunctivitis eye infection. In 1936, at the second international conference of microbiology, Flemming presented our information on a big screen, but again, no one listened to him. 

Wherever he presented our information, they didn't see any value in his work. This setback didn't dissuade him from continuing his work on us. We lost hope, but he was convinced of our potential and determined to make it a reality. In 1939, Flemming's perseverance paid off. Ernst Chain and Howard Florey saw our potential and wanted to make us a reality. We were turned into a concentrated extract in a powdered form and studied in 1939. We were injected in 4 out of 8 mice with virulent strains of bacteria, and we could fight them and keep them alive. And we became a Miracle. Our information was published. 

In 1941, The Oxford team was going to treat a human with us. He was an officer with a severe face infection, when we entered we destroyed bacteria as we could and he started to improve but we were not in much amount to fight against the bacteria and sadly the patient passed away. But we could treat another person with a severe infection of the nervous system. In 1940 the Second World War happened. We were very less in amount and but with the help of the US government we were massively produced. The war cabinet was convinced by our potential and a penicillin committee was formed and facilitated large production of penicillin. And we healed all the wounded troops. And we were the world's first effective antibiotic to fight bacteria and we really became popular and we were free for the benefit of humanity. This breakthrough led to the development of antibiotics, which revolutionized medicine and saved countless lives. Our innovator's persistence and vision paved the way for a new era in healthcare. Today, we continue to be a crucial tool in fighting infections and diseases. Our impact on society cannot be overstated, as we have transformed the way we approach healthcare and improved the quality of life for millions of people around the world. Despite our humble beginnings, we have become one of the most important discoveries in modern medicine, and our legacy will continue to inspire future generations of scientists and researchers.

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”