Penicillin and Aspirin

Chemicals that changed lives

Aspirin

Aspirin is a common medicine, used lots in modern life. It is a pain killer, which not only helps people in pain feel better, but also allows painful surgeries to take place that would have been impossible before. It has change many lives and allowed many people to overcome pain by swallowing a pill.

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Penicilin

Penicillin, first known as mould juice, is a chemical that kills bacteria. It is used for cleaning wounds and cuts. It has saved many lives, because before it was invented, infected cuts were very dangerous and often lethal.

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Invented in

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Discovered in

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Alexander Fleming discovers

Fleming was working on another experiment, when it got contaminated by mold. Instead of messing up the experiment, Fleming found the bacteria dying, due to the mold.

09/04/1928

Alexander Fleming writes

Fleming writes about his discovery, though it is not very noticed. Fleming does not continue his research.

01/01/1929

Ernst Chain and Howard Florey research

Ernst Chain And Howard Florey read Alexander Fleming's paper and begin their research, in Oxford.

01/01/1937

Testing on mice

They begin experimenting with penicillin, using mice. It is very lucky that they chose mice, not guinea pigs because penicillin is toxic to guinea pigs and they may have thought it would be the same for all animals, including us.

01/01/1940

Testing on humans

They tested penicillin on the first human, in Oxford. It was successful.

01/01/1941

Release

The Government worked together to provide funding, Penicillin came into use.