有關盤尼西林的問題。

http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/56/2/444

Penicillin Man: Alexander Fleming and the Antibiotic Revolution K. Brown

‘That's funny’, said Fleming on looking at the original penicillin plate. That's not so funny thought this reviewer on learning there was another biography of Fleming.

When Kevin Brown became archivist to St Mary's Hospital in 1989 he decided, perhaps naively, ‘to avoid doing anything at all connected with Fleming.’ Fortunately, he changed his mind. One reason was a feeling that earlier biographies were too polarized, for or against Fleming, and an independent more balanced approach was needed. Whether this was possible for the St Mary's archivist even if he was an Oxford graduate, readers must decide. I think he has succeeded, partly by giving a preponderance of facts over opinions, both meticulously collected. Notes and the bibliography take up nearly a third of the book. The illustrations include fascinating silhouettes showing the staff of the Inoculation Department in 1920. Of earlier biographies, Ludovici's (1952) was full of praise, and that by André Maurois, influenced by Lady Fleming, even more so. Howard Hughes' small one (1974) had the advantage of being by someone who had worked with Fleming. Macfarlane's weightier one (1984) made a conscious effort to be fair but is clearly by a Florey admirer. In reality there was enough glory for all.

Fleming's life and the main events of the discovery and development of penicillin are well known and generally accepted. Compared with Almroth Wright, his chief for most of his working life, Fleming sometimes seemed colourless. Indeed, Lady Fleming rebuked Maurois for giving too much prominence to Wright in his early drafts. Brown covers Fleming's private and public life, the Oxford Group and the underlying science. He also describes many of the institutions involved and the massive administrative, industrial and commercial efforts needed to produce enough penicillin during World War Two. This complex approach is clearly presented in sufficient detail for the reader to feel he is taking part in the developing process; satisfactory for all, essential for the majority who are not familiar with the intricacies, and intrigues, of medical and scientific research, especially when national prestige, fame and money are involved. Then as now, there was a belief in the value of an autocrat, and in 1943 a penicillin coordinator was appointed who was at least partially successful in boosting production. Nowadays, he would be called a penicillin czar, a curious title since the czars, though undoubtedly autocratic, were seldom efficient. Brown does not let this colourful background distract from the well known problems which are the highlights of the story.

Where did the spore come from and how? What were the dynamics of growth on the famous plate? The plate itself later went with Fleming's papers to the British Library, then to the British Museum. In 1978, I was working on the papers preparing for the fiftieth anniversary exhibition at St Mary's when the librarian asked if I could explain an odd object they had in the strong room. The plate was dried up and fragile but the essentials were recognizable and the Museum lent it to us for the exhibition. On returning it, we gave some urgent advice on its preservation. I don't know whether they took it as the only exhibit on public view is a model......................

Others:
Howard Florey, Alexander Fleming and the Fairy Tale of Penicillin
Peter D Goldsworthy and Alexander C McFarlane
http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/176_04_180202/gol10735.html

Fleming discovers penicillin 1928 - 1945
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/dm28pe.html


Hope this help!