Throughout time, antibiotics have been used to cure many illnesses. Current knowledge on the subject of antibiotics and their uses is extensive. Used to save many lives daily, antibiotics kill bacteria that cause many negative symptoms through bacterial infections like strep throat and hinder them from reproducing. As of today, there are many forms of antibiotics used to cure bacterial infections, these are taken and manipulate to create new forms to kill more illness. Created from forms of fungi, molds and soil-based bacteria or even created artificially, they are harmful to bacterium that cause disease and illness. According to Medline Plus, “Antibiotics do not fight infections caused by viruses, such as colds, flu, most coughs, bronchitis and sore throats, unless caused by strep.” Bacterial infections are cured through the proper use of antibiotics, while viral infections, caused by viruses, are not. “Antibiotics also are prescribed to treat illnesses causes by parasites and some types of fungus (Family Doctor).” Although antibiotics are created to heal, some negative effects can arise from the use of them. “Using antibiotics when you don’t need them, or not using them properly, can add to antibiotic resistance. This happens when bacteria change and become able to resist the effects of an antibiotic (Medline Plus).” We know many crucial aspects of antibiotics and their positive and negative effects in today’s society, but when looking back, the development of these conclusions came with extensive research.
In the beginning, we knew a limited amount regarding antibiotics and their creation. “Antibiotics have been used for millennia to treat infections, although until the last century or so people did not know the infections were caused by bacteria (“The History of Antibiotics”).” There are limited resources available to study that allow us to see the practices of early civilization. Although, many ideas floated around, ideas that the use of plant extract, herbs, honey and animal feces was to treat infection. According to The Microbiology Society, “…the ancient Egyptians, for example, applied mouldy bread to infected wounds.” Illness that we find treatable today, was terminal to many in the early world, like that of pneumonia and diarrhea. The idea of antibiotics laid firmly in that of the unknown, until research was taken a step forward in the late 19th century.
Leading on into the Renaissance and enlightenment period, according to Gould, we see the discovery of small living creatures, “animalcules,” by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1676. “In the late 1800s, Robert Koch (1843–1910) and Louis Pasteur (1822–1895) were able to establish the association between individual species of bacteria and disease through propagation on artificial media and in animals (Gould).” Pasteur viewed disease as the aftermath of microorganisms, more known as the ‘germ theory.’ “Opponents believed that diseases, particularly major killer diseases, arose in the first instance from a weakness or imbalance in the internal state and quality of the afflicted individual (Science History Institute).” However, Louis was able to pinpoint, with the use of a disease that plagued silkworms, that the causes was that of two microorganisms. With the increased amount of infection arising, possible treatments were experimented. “Heavy metals such as arsenic, bismuth and mercury were all tried; they were administered either systemically or locally, by means of specially designed syringes. Although symptoms were improved, the administration and side effects often proved worse than the disease (Gould).” These findings were minimal in the effects to treat bacterial infection, but major when looking into the furthering of these ideals in later years.
When the modern era began, we see the first antibiotic used on humans to treat infection. “Rudolf Emmerich (1856–1914) and Oscar Löw (1844–1941) discovered that the green bacteria isolated from injured patients’ bandages inhibited the growth of other microbes.5 They grew the organism (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) in batches and used the supernatant as a medicine, with mixed success (Gould).” However, this wasn’t fully successful until the late 19th century, when scientist noticed antibacterial chemicals at work. “Paul Ehrlich, a German physician, noted that certain chemical dyes colored some bacterial cells but not others. He concluded that, according to this principle, it must be possible to create substances that can kill certain bacteria selectively without harming other cells (“The History of Antibiotics”).” This was the first real step in creating an antibiotic to target and kill infection. The Microbiology Society stated, “In 1909, he discovered that a chemical called arsphenamine was an effective treatment for syphilis. This became the first modern antibiotic…” The term “antibiotic” was not used till 30 years later. Quoted by a Ukrainian-American inventor and microbiologist, Selman Waksman, who discovered over 20 antibiotics, according to The Microbiology Society. Later discoveries would further the knowledge and availability of numerous amounts of antibiotics.
The discovery of penicillin lead to the first mass produced antibiotic. As the story goes, Fleming returned home from a trip and noticed a fungus had contaminated one of his culture plates of a bacterium, Staphylococcus, he left uncovered, according to the Microbiology Society. “Fleming’s contaminating mold was identified as belonging to the genus Penicillium, which led to the name penicillin for the substance responsible for the antibacterial activity observed on the agar plate (White 1.3.1).” Fleming discovered many properties of the mold sample he tested. “Fleming published his work on penicillin in 1929 [25], reporting that extracts of the mold were able to kill a number of gram-positive pathogens in addition to the staphylococci and even the gram-negative pathogen responsible for gonorrhea (White 1.3.1).” In more detail it was discovered that the properties of this penicillin were unbelievably strong. “Fleming isolated and grew the mould in pure culture. He found that P. notatum proved extremely effective even at very low concentrations, preventing Staphylococcus growth even when diluted 800 times, and was less toxic than the disinfectants used at the time (Microbiology Society).” Over the years following, Fleming attempted to further his penicillin research but was hindered by the fact that he could not isolate and purify it. Due to Flemings failed attempts, “…Ernst Chain, working as part of Howard Florey’s team at Oxford, had taken on the task of isolating penicillin and solving its structure. The first results of this effort were published in 1940 [12], and by 1945, penicillin had demonstrated its amazing curative properties in the clinic and was being produced and distributed on a large scale (White 1.3.1).” After many trials in treating patients, it was ensured that the antibiotic would be mass produced. The mass production of penicillin made its way to many relief efforts, including European hospitals that aided those of World War II. This discovery led to the Nobel Prize and many improved versions of penicillin which today remain an important part of the antibiotic community.
After the discovery of the wonder-working penicillin, the next 20 years was the ‘Golden Age’ of antibiotics. “Initially, the best source of new agents was from other naturally occurring microorganisms and after streptomycin11 was isolated in 1944 from Streptomyces griseus (an organism found in soil), a worldwide search began (Gould).” Collecting samples of soil from all walks of earth, Eli Lily received “A sample from Borneo sent in 1952 grew Streptomyces orientalis, from which vancomycin was eventually extracted; vancomycin became available for patient use in 1958 (Gould).” With all the positive surrounding the idea of antibiotics, scientist began to notice a resistance forming. Looking into new methods to ramp up existing antibiotic factors, this is when the first resistant antibiotic was developed. According to Gould, “Beecham developed methicillin in 1959 as the first penicillinase-resistant β-lactam antibiotic, and penicillin’s spectrum of activity and pharmacokinetics were improved by the introduction of ampicillin in 1961.” From this point on, discoveries began to arise quickly. With infection control came more resistant bacterium, in which were studied and combated. This antibiotic cycle still is practiced today in the research for more developed treatments to bacterial infection.
Today the use of antibiotics is widespread in an effort to treat bacterial infection. With new bacterial agents being released yearly, we have created a reliable combative measure for certain illness. However, this was not achieved in a span of a lifetime, but the accumulation of many research efforts and studies that have been accredited for over thousands of years, resulting in the sole foundation of our current knowledge of antibiotics and their use today. Starting from early civilization and the use of natural infection control provided by the land, to the Golden Age of microscopically studied and synthetically created bacteria, we see many ideas surrounding antibiotics. For years, information and research has been passed down and studied in more depth in order to fully grasp the ideals of bacteria control and treatment. Without the contribution from the very beginning, recent breakthroughs in antibiotics and their resistance would not have been able to be fully understood. Created using natural agents of bacteria and fungi and/or created synthetically, the use history of antibiotics is extensive. The information that dates back thousands of years is fully relevant even in today’s society.