Evening star., 1943-08-01
Penici|Iin, New Miracle Drug,
Combuts Bacterial Infections
BY the Associated Press

.Combuts BucteI
BY the Associated Press.
A soldier casualty of the Pa
cific war theater lay on a bed
at Bushnell Veterans Hospital
in Utah, weak and delirious from
a fostering wound that had re-
sisted all treatment, including
sulfa drugs, for IA months.
Bits of uniform, missile fragments,
and pieces of bone shattered bv
high-velocity bullets still tormented
his body, because his dangerous in
fection was such that doctors did
not dare risk an operation to clear
the wound.
He was not alone in his suffering.
Many other soldiers had wounds
mostly compound fractures-that
had remained infected despite
treatment with the sulfonamides
and other drugs. One soldier had
a gaping wound in which a galosh
buckle still showed through the
poisoned flesh.
New Drug Tried.
But then, one day several months
ago, Army doctors began injecting
into the veins of the wounded men
a newly-developed drug which had
been authorized for trial at Bush
nell by the Army's surgeon general
1t was penicillin-pronounced
peni-sill-in, with the accent on the
"sill'-a substance formed by the
mold that grows on stale bread and
cheese, and which also can be OBJ
tanned from similar molds grown In
the laboratory.
Almost Immediately the men be-
gan to improve. The fostering of
the wounds gradually subsidized.
Within a week, operations were
performed In most cases to clear
away the debris Of the battlefield
and drain the wounds.
The soldier who had been suffer-
Ing for IA months without improve
ment was healed in 81 days.
Previously Tested Out.
That marked the first extensive
use OF the drug in an American
military hospital. But the work at
Bushnell was authorized by the
Army only as a result of organized
research started last year at selected
riViliar hncnito1c 1c uyaro fha dY,,, w., .
employed to combat various bacterial
infections among more than 300
cases, with brilliant results.
Previously, investigators in Great
Britain, were the drug was discov-
cred in 1929 and first used In human
cases In 1941, had reported remark
able results.
Both in this country and in Eng
land, penicillin had succeeded in
many instances where the sulfa
drugs had failed.
The studies in the American civil.
ian hospitals were made-and are
continuing - under sponsorship oil
the Medical Research Committee o1
the United States Office of Scientific
Research and Development and un.
der direct supervision of the Com.
mittee on Chemotherapy Of the Ma.
tlonal Research Council.
The results achieved at Bushnell
were so dramatic that the Army in
stituted similar studies for wounc
treatment at Halloran Hospital
N. Y, and at eight other Army
general hospitals, and the Navy
began using penicillin in 10 hospital.
in the continental United States.
Effective on Gonorrhea.
At about the same time, thu
United States Public Health Service
reported that penicillin had proved
very effective against gonorrhes
germs that had resisted the sulfo.
namides, and, as result of that, thu
Army authorized separate studies O.
the use of penicillin in treatment O.
venereal disease at six other Arm,
hospitals.
A limited quantity of the drue
also has been sent to our armee
forces overseas.
Why, then, is this remarkable
drug not a part of the equipment O.
every doctors medicine kit? Tht
answer is that penicillin is very
scarce, and difficult to produce.
The job of preparing and extract.
ing the material Is a long and pain.
stalking one, fraught with disap.
pointments-and the yield so far b,
a number of American commercial
drug companies has been sufficient
only to supply our armed forces and
the few selected civilian hospitals
with very small quantities.
Authorities most intimately &C.
quainted with present development.
are hopeful that by the end of thi.
year, supplies of penicillin will be
sufficient for the Army and Navy
casualties returned to this country
plus considerable supply for civil.
ian necessities"
Costs "Terrificly High"
But they say that penicillin prob.
ably will not be available for sgen.
eral civilian use until after the wal
and even then It's cost may be high
At present there are no actua
figures on its cost except that 1t il
"terrificly high" :'
Despite extensive studies. chemist