Penicillin as a Chemotherapeutic Agent

Chain, E. B.; Florey, H. W.; Gardner, A. D.; Heatley, N. G.; Jennings, M. A.; Orr-Ewing, Jean; Sanders, A. G.

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(01)08728-1

Cited by 478 publications

(168 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Media reports on penicillin had started appearing soon after the publication of Florey's landmark articles in The Lancet in 1940 and 1941 which unequivocally demonstrated penicillin's clinical potential 2 . A brief item in The Scotsman in November 1940 reported a «hint» by Alexander Fleming that «Britain may have a drug even more effective than the sulphonamides» 3 .…”

Section: Penicillin and The Public Consciousnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of the media in influencing public attitudes to penicillin during World War II

Shama

2015

Dynamis

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SUMMARY: 1.-Penicillin and the public consciousness. 2.-Alternative penicillin. 3.-Publicity control and conclusions ABSTRACT: Penicillin's trajectory towards becoming an effective antibacterial chemotherapeutic agent took place during World War II. Its strategic military value was immediately recognised by the Allies, and mass production was undertaken with the prime objective of meeting the needs of the armed forces. News of its development came to be widely reported on in the media and is examined here. These reports frequently combined accounts of penicillin's prodigious clinical effectiveness with the fact that it was to remain unavailable to the civilian population essentially until the war had ended. More penicillin was to be made available to the civilian population in the United States than in Britain, but the sense that it was severely rationed remained as high. It was in response to this that the idea of «homemade penicillin» was hatched. News of this was also widely promulgated by both the British and American media. Although the numbers treated with penicillin produced in this way was never to be significant, knowledge of the existence of such endeavours may have served to assuage in some measure the feelings of frustration felt by the civilian population at penicillin's non-availability.

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Section: Penicillin and The Public Consciousnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of the media in influencing public attitudes to penicillin during World War II

Shama

2015

Dynamis

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“…The results they obtained were to prove a dramatic testament to the chemotherapeutic powers of penicillin against deadly bacterial pathogens. Florey and his co-workers published their initial findings in The Lancet in August 1940 (Chain et al, 1940).…”

Section: Early Penicillin Research In Great Britainmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Both Nitti (1944) and Martin et al (1944) cite Fleming (1929) and Raistrick's work (Clutterbuck et al, 1932) both of which would have existed in Parisian libraries before the war. They also cite Florey's two Lancet papers, (Chain et al, 1940: Abraham et al, 1941. The most recent British publication is a Lancet paper of 1943 (Clark et al, 1943).…”

Section: Francementioning

confidence: 99%

Chapter 5 Zones of Inhibition? The Transfer of Information Relating to Penicillin in Europe during World War II

Shama

2009

Advances in Applied Microbiology

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“…Ancient civilizations relied on nature as a source of products and procedures in the battle against bacteria, virus, and parasites. In the XX century, natural products such as penicillin were found to possess remarkable antimicrobial activity and therapeutic properties [1]. However, the first penicillins discovered had a narrow spectrum of activity and low chemical stability and were destroyed by some bacterial strains able to produce the enzyme penicillinase [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient Procedures for the High-Tech World: Health Benefits and Antimicrobial Compounds from the Mediterranean Empires

Carvalho¹,

Caramujo²

2008

TOBIOTJ

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This paper reviews the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and methods developed for food processing and preservation during the time of the ancient empires. In Antiquity, trees and herbs were harvested for culinary and medicinal purposes, and from the everyday handling of products and keen observation, a great body of wisdom was derived by philosophers and physicians. With modern day techniques, the suspected properties of compounds have been investigated and the beneficial properties tested. From these studies it is apparent that olive oil, herbs, essential oils and metals, when used with the backing of scientific knowledge can improve human health and the standards of living while respecting the environment. Nowadays, proliferation of disinfectants and antimicrobial agents in domestic, industrial and medical environments has contributed to the appearance of resistant microbial strains and of new pathogens. Since regulators have restricted the use and concentrations of many preservatives, sanitizers, and antimicrobial agents, the food industry is facing a problem to extend the shelf-life of products, and to keep the manufacturing environment clean. The application of natural compounds and simple techniques developed by ancient Mediterranean civilizations may prove as useful as more modern synthetic substances, thus avoiding potential threats to human health and the environment.

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Penicillin as a Chemotherapeutic Agent

Cited by 478 publications

References 5 publications

The role of the media in influencing public attitudes to penicillin during World War II

The role of the media in influencing public attitudes to penicillin during World War II

Chapter 5 Zones of Inhibition? The Transfer of Information Relating to Penicillin in Europe during World War II

Ancient Procedures for the High-Tech World: Health Benefits and Antimicrobial Compounds from the Mediterranean Empires

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