World War II: How Penicillin Saved American Life

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Penicillin is an antibiotic that kills bacteria, sufficiently treating any injuries. This drug was invented before the war, but had its major outbreak during World War II. Once scientists discovered the potential of penicillin, they aggressively started to pursue methods to mass produce the drug. The mass production of penicillin saved many American lives and led to our victory during World War II.
Penicillin, derived from the mold Penicillium, is the first antibiotic to successfully treat bacterial infections on humans. It was accidentally discovered by scientist, Alexander Fleming. While Fleming was growing Staphylococcus, a serious and often deadly infection, in a dish, he noticed the bacteria had stopped growing after a mold found its way …show more content…

It kills bacteria by competing with it for food, The bacteria around the fungus are destroyed as penicillin is released. The penicillin kills the mold by stopping its cell walls from forming. This results in the cells bursting and dying (Ward, 50-51). During World War II, penicillin was used in place of surgery due to the lack of doctors. The drug obviated the need for many amputations because it could neutralize the bacteria that caused dead tissue responsible for limb removals (Conniff, 2013). A letter sent home from a soldier, Murphy, demonstrates an example of this. “At first they thought they would have the take his leg off… it was long before they really could treat him… But they started treating him with the new ‘wonder drug’ penicillin and it brought him around ok” (Higginbotham, 2001). In addition to eliminating amputations, penicillin made infections less painful to handle. Surgeons commonly treated wounds by draining them and leaving them open to heal. Infections were common and often deadly, recovery wound take months. However, after the distribution of penicillin, surgeons simply drained the wound, sprinkled penicillin powder, and stitched the wound close (Conniff, 2013). Thousands of soldiers who escaped death or amputation owed their well-being to the mass production of

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