Attempts to treat and cure illness and disease – WJECAlexander Fleming and the discovery of penicillin

The discovery of penicillin was a major medical breakthrough. Penicillin was the first effective antibiotic that could be used to kill bacteria. This meant that cures for serious illnesses were possible even if the patient had the disease.

Penicillin had been discovered during the 19th century, but it was Alexander Fleming who first realised its great importance in 1928. During World War I, he noticed that antiseptics seemed unable to prevent infection, particularly in deep wounds. He decided to try to find something that could kill the bacteria which caused infections like septicaemia.

Penicillin was discovered almost by accident. Returning from holiday, Fleming removed the tops from some old petri dishes and noticed that the bacteria he had grown were being killed by a mould - penicillin. He used the word antibiotic to describe penicillin. However, Fleming did not have the money or the facilities to continue his research.

Ernst Chain and Howard Florey

In the late 1930s two Oxford scientists, Ernst Chain and Howard Florey took up the challenge. In 1939, with the start of war, they were given extra government funding. The problem was in producing enough penicillin. Thousands of milk bottles produced only enough penicillin to treat four mice – though the mice recovered. In 1941, it was tested on a human and, though he died when the penicillin ran out, it was obvious that it was effective.

By 1943, penicillin was being mass produced, as it still is today. In 1945, it was estimated that the US army was giving two million doses per month.

In the 1940s and 1950s other antibiotics followed penicillin. They have been very successful in fighting infection. However, health organisations across the world are trying to reduce the use of antibiotics, especially for conditions that aren't serious. The overuse of antibiotics means they are becoming less effective and has led to the emergence of superbugs .