| Show Penicillin Latest Triumph of Medical Research Marks Another Long Step Toward Distant Goal Magic Germ Killer Was Vas Discovered by Fortunate For Accident lIy Iy AL JEDLiCKA by Western Newspaper Union It Is back In 1929 1029 Prof Alexander Alexandor Fleming of that n a mold growing In a n container which he ht Is using in research has killed certain germs Although Professor Fleming does docs not enter into a thorough invest invest- investigation investigation gation of the phenomenon he takes tokes the time to make a n note of it it suggesting that maybe maybethe the mold could destroy germs in human infections Other English scientists go to work on the mold and in 1940 1040 find And It ef et effective In human treatment Penicillin lin tin the magic drug dru has been dis discovered discovered covered and like so many lOany great other discoveries by chance Penicillin Is not the greatest nor northe northe northe the final discovery in medicine but bul bulIt It In is the latest and among the most effective momentarily climaxing medicines medicine's long steady march for for- forward forward ward on the path lath of ot alleviating mans man's pain Sought by king and commoner alike alke penicillin has proven Its use use- usefulness usefulness usefulness In the treatment of streptococcus streptococcus streptococcus a n germ that causes pus and promotes diseases like sep sep- septic septic septic tic sore throat childbed fever and erysipelas of staphylococcus au au- revs pens another another germ found in bolls boils and In Infections of ot the bone of the pneumonia and diphtheria the theria germs terms of ot the organisms that cause gonorrhea gas gangrene meningitis and syphilis In Chicago's modern Museum of ot Science and Industry at the foot loot of ot Lake Michigan In Jackson Park Dr Milan Novak head hend of ot the depart depart- department department ment of ot bacteriology and public health of University of ot Illinois col coI- college col- col college lege of ot medicine has established a public exhibit demonstrating the processes In the present production productIon production tion of ot penicillin The Tho penicillin exhibit Is just one of ot many In the museums museum's medical section which is under direction of ot Dr 11 E E. E J. J J Carey dean of ot the Mar Mar- Marquette Marquette quette university medical school Milwaukee Wis In this section we weare ore are given n a graphic picture of mans man's gradual development of ot curative remedies from the early uses of vegetable substances Seven Beven Benefactors Mb seven revel great men and their works which have given mankind boundless relief relle from its ita physical illnesses Karl Wilhelm 1742 80 who discovered chlorine the constituent uen of ot I common compounds like salt tartaric acids which make mate fruits taste sour Jour manganese the metallic element necessary for plant development dev and oxygen the most universal of ot all elements Pelletier and who in 1820 1020 extracted quinine the active p e ki z J v medicinal constituent of cinchona the wrinkled brown bark found by bythe bythe bythe the Spaniards In Peru In 1030 1630 and most effective In treating malaria Louis Jacques Thenard 1857 1777 who found boric acid and hydrogen peroxide Frederick fielding Belding Powder 1853 1633 1027 1927 who worked on development of oil of ot peppermint and wintergreen and also oil of chaulmoogra a I i rrt 4 J 4 kh f s Prof Alexander Fleming discoverer of penicillin Is shown with a bottle holding cultures of as lie be converses with two wo visiting Turkish doctors In his London laboratory where be he made the remarkable experiments source of ot certain chemical com com- compounds compounds compounds pounds for use in treating leprosy Bernard Dernard Courtois 1838 1777 who Isolated iodine In 1811 when he ob ob- observed observed observed served that washings from tram seaweed ashes gave oft off purple vapors when treated with sulphuric acid and then turned into crystals which con con- contained contained the element now so useful in medicine Antoine Bilard 70 1802 1802 70 who discovered dis discovered covered bromine in 1828 Moderns as well as oldsters find the museums museum's replica of ot the century American apothecary shop an interesting contrast to the pres present ent streamlined drug store To T Q pa say Q the e least the ilia old cary cars rho p as a n colorful spec spec lIf n ella a popular medicinal center what with its big square jars of ot black white zinc sulphide reddish tincture of ot serpent and gold spirits Drawers contained emery talcum manna creta and Iris Of interest Is the century doc doe doctors doctor's doctors tors tor's bulky built varnished medicine case which he carried in his saddlebag as he made his rounds through the Ule country In the case ClISe one can cin find quinine turkey rhubarb essence of ot peppermint fire of magnesia es essence essence sence of ginger and tincture of ot orange peel On the counter of ot the apothecary shop stands a box of ot herbal smoking mixture for cure of catarrh bron bron- bronchitis bronchitis asthma hay fever lung disease dis dis- disease ease coughs hoarseness ulcerated throat and all pulmonary com com- complaints complaints complaints plaints the customer merely being asked to smoke and inhale it Hard lIard by b the replica of theold U e. old apothecary shop we find a drug exhibit depicting depleting century medi medi- medicinal medicinal medicinal cinal advances from the discovery of alkaloids in 1816 1810 to the U develop develop- 5 5 u o TI I t The first lint time the tile rare drug was ever er released for civilian Chilian use was In the case of or Patricia Malone year old New York city girl who I was suffering suffering- suITe ring from the staphylococci type bp of ot septicemia The army arm gave fare enough penicillin to halt the disease when hen appealed to by b a New York newspaper I ment of ot hormones for treatment of ot glandular deficiencies In 1901 1001 with the introduction of coal tar coal tar synthetic drugs in 1884 18 and thyroxin in IBn 1899 grouped between The Magic lalo Drug DruK The climatic and currently most Interesting exhibit of at course is the theone theone theone one dealing with the growth of ot peal peni penicillin cillin from a mold to a refined liquid containing the drug which al 1 ready has become an awesome magical byword Step by step the exhibit dem demo demonstrates demonstrates the processes of ot producing penicillin First theres there's the stock culture with a mold similar to but not Iden Identical identical with green molds found on fruits or cheese shown growing on like jell base containing sugar Second the spores seeds from the stock culture transferred are are to toa toa toa a nutrient solution containing sugar and they tiley germinate Into white wool wool- woolly woolly ly plants In three days the mold covers the surface of ot the liquid This mold creates penicillin which collects in the nutrient but not rot in the mold plants Third as the m mature their color oranges c anges from tram white to green gray because of ot the develop development ment of numerous spores seeds At this stage the solution contains a maximum amount of ot penicillin and the culture is ready for collection It If allowed to become too old the penicillin in the liquid loses some of ot its strength s tre n g tho Fourth the tho first step In collecting the penicillin is to remove the mold growth from the liquid by filtration 1 since the plant Itself contains none of ot the drug The liquid thus filtered possesses small amounts of lin An elaborate process of ot ex traction and absorption is used to concentrate and remove the penicillin lin tin from tram the liquid Fifth Filth the purification process re reo removes removes moves objectionable s es li It left eft In Its Us yellow brown yellow brown solution form penicillin loses some of its strength but is relatively stable as asa asa asa a powder into which it is converted by commercial production When penicillin Is to be Injected into a patient it is dissolved A II hypodermic hy syringe is used for In injection and If It intra intravenous venous injection is desired a n blood transfusion apparatus is used Penicillin must be tested regular regularly ly Iy for tor strength In the cup method melted agar is uniformly inoculated with test bacteria which cannot grow in the presence of ot penicillin and is placed in a n round dish to solidify Small glass cylinders are arc put in the solidified agar and filled with a penicillin solution which then seeps outward into the infected mold The test bacteria grow and cloud the agar except where theft growth is stopped by the penicillin The size of ot the clear is zone pro pro- proportional proportional to the strength of the pen penicillin If penicillin is hard to get its it's be because because cause its production is limited by bj its growth From rom a large batch ol oj the nutrient solution only a relative relatively ly small amount of o penicillin is ob tamable As yet no synthetic meth method od to produce the drug on a mass scale has hns been developed and until some such process is Installed the civilians civilians' share will be strictly de dlo determined by the military and naval services' services needs |
