Alexander Fleming

How it happened?

Early in his medical life, Fleming became interested in the natural bacterial action of the blood and in antiseptics. He was able to continue his studies throughout his military career and he settled to work on antibacterial substances which would not be toxic to animal tissues. In 1921, he discovered in an important bacteriolytic substance which he named Lysozyme. About this time, he devised sensitivity titration methods and assays in human blood and other body fluids, which he subsequently used for the titration of penicillin. In 1928, while working on influenza virus, he observed that mold had developed accidently on a staphylococcus culture plate and that the mold had created a bacteria-free circle around itself. He was inspired to further experiment and he found that a mold culture prevented growth of staphylococci, even when diluted 800 times. He named the active substance penicillin.

About Alexander Fleming.

He was the third child, with seven other brothers and sisters. In 1915, Fleming married Sarah Marion McElroy of Killala, Ireland, who died in 1949. Their son is a general medical practitioner. Fleming married again in 1953, his bride was Dr. Amalia Koutsouri-Voureka, a Greek colleague at St. Mary's. Dr Fleming died on March 11th in 1955 and is buried in St. Paul's Cathedral.

About penicillin.

The discovery of penicillin has often been described as a miracle drug, and that is exactly what it was. Prior to the discovery of penicillin, death could occur in what would seem; today to be very minor injuries and diseases. It could occur from minor wounds that became infected or from diseases such as Strep Throat, and venereal diseases such as syphilis and gonorrhea were a much more serious issue.

Photograph courtesy of Associated Press

      Sir Alexander Fleming, 1952

Alexander Fleming defenitly prooves that the 1920's is an age of miracles. He invented the antibacterial penicillin which is known as the miracle drug. This is the beginning of modern America because it shows that there is a solution to almost everything even if it seems impossible. Everything this "drug" cures seem to be fatel and caused many deaths back in the day, which now due to the invention of penicillin are actually minor injuries and viruses.