PENICILLIN

“I did not invent penicillin. Nature did that. I only discovered it by accident.” (A. Flemming)
Vocabulary

Culture plates – a flat container, especially a Petri dish, holding or designed to hold a culture
of bacteria, fungi, etc., on or in a nutrient medium.
To undergo – experience or be subjected to (something, typically something unpleasant or
arduous).
Hitherto – until now or until the point in time under discussion.
Strain – a force tending to pull or stretch something to an extreme or damaging degree.
Therefore – for that reason; consequently.
Broth – a liquid medium containing proteins and other nutrients for the culture of bacteria.
Drip – a small drop of a liquid.
Afford – provide or supply.

The discovery of penicillin and its introduction into

medicine has been called “the greatest contribution
to medical science of the twentieth century”. Its
discovery made available a most potent
chemotherapeutic agent, and opened an entirely new
field of therapy – the use of substances derived from
moulds, bacteria and other lower organisms as
remedial agents.
Historical. In 1929, Alexander Fleming, while
examining culture plates of staphylococci, noted that the organisms surrounding a growth of
mould, which had accidentally contaminated the culture plate, had undergone lysis. He
proceeded to culture the mould and demonstrated that the nutrient broth in which it had grown
acquired the bactericidal properties which had been noticed in the original culture plate. The
mould responsible for the production of this hitherto unknown bactericidal substance was
subsequently demonstrated to be a strain of Penicillin notatum and the term penicillin was
therefore used by Fleming also showed that the bactericidal substance elaborated by this fungus.
Fleming also showed that the bactericidal activity of penicillin was specific for certain organisms
and that on injection in animals, preparations of broth containing penicillin were relatively non-
toxic.
The discovery of Fleming received little attention during the following decade. However,
during this period the remarkable success attained with the sulfonamide derivatives as
chemotherapeutic agents and the recognition of their deficiencies stimulated interest in penicillin.
Chain, Florey and their associates at Oxford undertook the purification of extracts containing
penicillin and demonstrated their remarkable antibacterial properties.
Dosage and Way of administration. The dosage and route of administration of penicillin
is determined by the nature and severity of the disorder being treated. In more serious ailments,
intramuscular administration of 10,000 to 1,000,000 units of the crystalline preparation dissolved
in 1 to 10 ml of water, saline or glucose is indicated. These injections are repeated every 2 to 6
hours depending on the desired blood level.
The intramuscular route is preferred since intravenous injections may be painful and not
so readily absorbed. When very large doses are indicated, a continuous intravenous drip affords a
convenient route of administration. When given intravenously, penicillin is administered in
normal saline or per cent glucose containing 25 to 50 units of the drug per ml.
Penicillin may also be injected directly into body cavities, for example into the pleural
cavity or into an infected joint or abscess cavity.
For local treatment of certain chronic infections of the respiratory tract (sinusitis,
bronchiectasis etc), penicillin may be inhaled in the form of a powder or spray. For this purpose
powdered penicillin or an aerosol of penicillin, made by nebulizing a solution containing 25.000
to 50.000 units of the drug is used. Various forms of apparatus including tents, breathing boxes
and nebulizers are available for this purpose.

I. Answer the questions:

1) What did the discovery of penicillin lead to?

2) How was penicillin discovered?
3) What is the dosage and route of administration in more serious ailments?
4) What is the dosage in cases when penicillin is given intravenously?
5) What is the route of administration in cases of chronic infections of the respiratory tract?

II. Answer true/ false on the following statements:

1) Penicillin has the form of powder, injection and spray.

2) Penicillin heralded the dawn of the antibiotic age.
3) Penicillin should be taken in the same doses.
4) Chain and Florey demonstrated the antibacterial properties of penicillin.
5) The intravenous injections of penicillin are more painful than the intramuscular ones.

III. Fill in the missing words:

The discovery of _________made available a most potent chemotherapeutic agent, and
opened an entirely new field of therapy – the use of __________ derived from
____________, bacteria and other lower organisms as remedial agents. The dosage and route
 of administration of penicillin is determined by the __________ and ___________ of the
disorder being treated.

IV. Match and make up sentences:

1. Sir Alexander Fleming, a Scottish a. he noticed that the culture prevented

researcher,  the growth of staphylococci.
2. Upon examination of the mold, b. is credited with the discovery of
penicillin in 1928.
3. Though Fleming stopped studying c. reduce the number of deaths and
penicillin in 1931, amputations of troops during World
War II. 
4. Penicillin helped d. changed the world of medicine
enormously.
5. The discovery of penicillin e. his research was continued and
finished by Howard Flory and Ernst
Chain.

V. Tick the odd word:

1) Undergo suffer cause experience bear

2) Acquire achieve gain occur earn
3) Attain reach get achieve provide
4) Afford affect allow enable make
5) Undertake carry on ensure confirm assume