Benefits of Penicillin and How it Changed the World
White dot above is the mold known as Penicillium.
As you may know Penicillin was the first anti-biotic ever created. Before such a drug was known to man getting rid of bacterial infection was virtually impossible. The most common way to get rid of the infection was to open the infection and allow the pus to drain. Infection such as brain infections that were not possible to drain would result in death. This proved a very big problem for the world. Especially since infections are very common. Penicillin works by attaching itself to the middle of bacteria as they divide, preventing them from forming a new cell wall as they divide. Instead the bacterial cell just bursts. I has prevented bacterial molecules from attaching themselves. Penicillin acts on such a wide range of infections and bacterial diseases. It also has very mild side effects in most patients. The anti-biotic can cure such a wide range of infections that patients can be treated without a definitive diagnosis! How crazy is that? Another reason that Penicillin was dubbed the miracle drug was it was use very widely used in World War II. Records show that Penicillin was used to cure soldiers of gangrene. One belief is that Penicillin was a cause of the victory of the allies during the war. Penicillin is definitely a miracle drug.
Allergies to Penicillin
Allergies to Penicillin happen when your immune system overreacts to the Penicillin. Reactions may be something as simple as a rash or something as large as anaphylaxis. Penicillin drug allergy is the most common drug allergy which is one flaw of the miracle drug. It is still unclear why people have allergic reactions to Penicillin. People that have allergic reactions to Penicillin often go through desensitization therapy. This therapy gradually increases the amount of Penicillin you take so your body and immune system become used to the Penicillin.
Penicillin During World War II
In 1939 the World war II was starting and raging through Europe, aAsia and Africa killing many soldiers from Staphylococcal, Streptococcal and pneumococcal infections. Penicillin was greatly needed but the bombing raids that happened over Britain made it's industries and laboratories vulnerable to German bombs.