I. The journey of discovery of penicillin.
Like Newton's discovery of gravity when the apple fell on his head, British bacteriologist Fleming's discovery of penicillin was a fluke. Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, but he couldn't master the refining technique. Despite this, Fleming wrote and published articles about the discovery of penicillin. It wasn't until 1939 that penicillin was purified by two scientists in Britain and Germany.
The great thing about penicillin is that it kills germs without damaging human cells. After Fleming read the article published by these two scientists, he met with them and gave them the penicillin-producing bacteria he had cultivated for years.
In December 1941 the U.S. military announced that penicillin would be a priority munitions manufacture, and in 1943 industrial production of penicillin began in the U.S. In 1944, by the time of the Normandy landings, the U.S. had 2.3 million penicillin injections, which basically allowed all the wounded in Britain and the U.S. to get the treatment they deserved.
The price of penicillin in 1944 was $20 a dose, and by 1946, its price had fallen to $0.55 a dose. It was precisely because of its scarcity that it was expensive.
In 1945, Fleming, Flory and Chinn won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for "the discovery of penicillin and its clinical utility" and **** together. The discovery of these three scientists, so that penicillin has saved thousands of people's lives, so that mankind and the fight against disease into a new era, for the enhancement of human health has made a great contribution.
II. The research process of penicillin in China.
Chinese microbiologist Prof. Fan Qingsheng returned to China in January 1944 with three test tubes of penicillin strains, which had been introduced in the United States shortly after the launch of penicillin, and actively carried out research.
That year, they made five bottles of penicillin for the first time: two bottles were sent to Chongqing, two bottles were sent to the United Kingdom and the United States for identification, and one bottle was treasured. This research results, so that other countries to the Chinese people impressed. At that time, the price of imported penicillin is expensive, there are one or two gold a penicillin said.
In 1948, Fan Qingsheng in Shanghai biochemical testing office to build penicillin factory, ready for industrial production. 1951 October, the annual output of penicillin is only a few dozen kilograms, far from meeting the needs. 1958, the industrialization of penicillin production success.
Three, the value of a ton of penicillin during World War II
A penicillin 400,000 units counted, is 0.4 grams. A ton of pharmaceutical penicillin is 2.5 million units! During WWII, penicillin was used in 1944 and 1945.
And when penicillin is most in demand, a penicillin is as expensive as one or two gold. One or two is 50 grams, and the price of one gram of gold is calculated at 350 dollars, so the price of one or two gold is 17,500 dollars. The point is that even at that price it may not be available.
In accordance with the 1944, 1945, a penicillin 250 yuan price calculation, a ton of penicillin, that is, 2.5 million, this price in 625 million yuan. Not counting do not know, once counted a shock ah, 625 million yuan is really not a small amount. The key at that time with 625 million yuan may not be able to buy a ton of penicillin.
Then in the war period, the national army *** counted casualties of 3.65 million people, this one ton of penicillin is 2.5 million, an average of 0.68 per person. *** Army casualties 580,000, an average of 4.31 sticks per person. But really, wounded soldiers get this one ton of penicillin, that will greatly reduce their mortality rate, can be said to have made a huge contribution.
World War II, ordinary people simply can not touch the penicillin. 1945, Chongqing negotiations, Soong Ching Ling gave the President seven penicillin. This was given as a gift, which can be said to be very precious. It was not to be taken out and used as a last resort. And there was a little girl who was very lucky, she got pneumonia and her life was in danger. In the end, this one was used on her, and she finally turned around and became a lucky girl.
In the TV series "Bright Sword", Li Yunlong was injured and in a coma, and the higher-ups sent a commissioner to send Li Yunlong two boxes of penicillin. In the TV series "Graduation Song" Wang Dunkai died because he helped Wang Mutian transport penicillin. And Wang Mutian and Sangxia even to manufacture penicillin was discovered identity, Sangxia therefore was arrested and tortured.
During World War II, penicillin was a very precious thing.