|
Reviews: |
Although Fleming, Florey and Chain shared a Nobel Prize in 1945 for their revolutionary
work, accolades and media attention were disproportionately bestowed on Fleming, and in
the popular imagination he was transformed into the sole creator of penicillin. Lax (Woody
Allen; Life and Death on 10 West) has written a commendable account of this historical
oversight, conveying the thrill of discovery during the upheaval of WWII and skillfully
translating the abstruse technicalities of lab work and medical jargon into enjoyable
prose. Yet this book also shows that monumental discoveries are not always born of
monumental stories, and the narrative contains trivial details and petty grievances that
made up these scientists' circumscribed lives. Lax's treatment is disciplined and focused,
but it would have been improved by a broader historical sweep and more involved
discussions of penicillin's impact on the pharmaceutical industry. 18-page b&w photo
insert not seen by PW.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights
reserved. --This text was written about the Hardcover
From The New England Journal of Medicine
Alexander Fleming may be one of only two Nobel laureates in medicine (the other being Ivan
Pavlov) whose name is well known to the general public. In contrast, his co-laureates
Howard Florey and Ernst Chain and their vital contributions to the translation of
Fleming's 1928 observation of the antibiotic qualities of a penicillium mold into the
lifesaving drug penicillin are little remembered. The discovery has been both lauded by
hagiographers and dissected by revisionists, foremost among the latter being Gwyn
Macfarlane, whose biographies, first of Florey and then of Fleming, did much to broaden
the story. It is the reflective, analytic tone of Macfarlane's books that Eric Lax adopts.
He not only affirms the roles of all three Nobel Prize winners but also brings into the
foreground the "fourth man" of penicillin, Norman Heatley, who was a major
source for this book before his death early this year. (Figure) Although Fleming
recognized the possibilities of penicillium, his kitchen chemistry experiments produced
gallons of "mold juice" that had inconclusive effects. Poor experimental design
combined with weak presentation skills and a literary style that Lax describes as
"miserly" did little to stimulate others' interest. It was not until 1939 that
Florey, Chain, and Heatley took up the work of chemical extraction in Oxford, England. The
technical problems were immense; the relationship between Florey, a brash Australian, and
Chain, a temperamental German-Jewish refugee, was difficult; and in the wartime
conditions, equipment and supplies became increasingly scarce. On May 25, 1940, one of the
most famous animal experiments in medical history took place. Eight mice were inoculated
with a fatal dose of streptococcus. Four were also injected with a crude penicillin
extract. Within hours, the untreated mice were dead and the penicillin-treated mice were
still alive. Penicillin's spectacular possibilities were obvious. Weeks later, France fell
to Germany, and Britain was left to fight alone in the war. The Oxford group of scientists
realized that if the city were invaded, they would have to destroy their work to prevent
it from falling into enemy hands. At Heatley's suggestion, they rubbed their jackets with
the penicillium spores so that if they had to flee, they could carry the secret with them.
A year later, with the help of the Rockefeller Foundation, Florey and Heatley carried the
secret to the United States to persuade scientists and companies to undertake the
production work that had been so crippled by shortages in the United Kingdom. The entry of
the United States into the war in December 1941 altered the course of history in regard to
penicillin, and by the end of 1943 its production was the second-highest priority of the
U.S. War Department. New climates and traditions of research then clearly emerged -- for
instance, the British Medical Research Council believed that patenting medicines was
unethical. They rejected Chain's urgent requests that the work be protected -- a refusal
that bore, Lax suggests, more than a hint of anti-Semitism. American companies patented
their production techniques, and Chain's prophecy that he would have to pay royalties to
use his own invention proved correct, although whether the Oxford scientists could have
patented their preliminary work remains debatable. The powerful personalities and the
extraordinary circumstances in which they struggled on both sides of the Atlantic richly
embellish this fresh and hugely enjoyable account of an important episode in medical
history. Tilli Tansey, Ph.D.
Copyright © 2004 Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. The New England
Journal of Medicine is a registered trademark of the MMS. --This text was written
about the Hardcover
PPC
Marketing
TrafficSource, a leading Internet marketing company manages PPC marketing services on
behalf of their eCommerce clients. They work with Google, Bing/Yahoo, price comparison
sites and undertake retargeting. This motivated team will ensure high ROI for your next
campaign.
Coffee machines for sale or rent to
offices and homes in South Africa
We offer coffee machines for sale and rent and will operate and maintain them in homes,
offices, showrooms and factories in South Africa and we'll also supply and deliver all
your consumables.
STARSCAPES - Work From Home Based
Business Opportunity Program, and Cosmic Ceiling Murals
STARSCAPES home based business opportunity program.
Declaration, Constitution, Bill
of Rights Authentic Reproductions from The National Archive.com
Declaration, Constitution, Bill of Rights Authentic Reproductions on museum quality
parchment.
Beauty Products - Anti-Aging Creams - Skin
Care Products - Makeup And Beauty Products
If you are looking for beauty products as well as cosmetic discounted products, anti-aging
creams, makeup and beauty products, please review our website. If you are also looking for
skin care products as well as discounted perfume items, acne creams and facial skin care
products, please visit our website for more details. 80% off retail prices, we ship
worldwird for FREE, plus FREE gift wrapping and post card to all order.
Executive Window Cleaning
Services
Executive Window Cleaning is a professional, full-service company specializing in Window
Cleaning, Repair, and Solar Screens in the Southlake and Colleyville Area.
Weight
Loss Magazine
Weight loss magazine and dieting advice and tips. Information and reviews on dieting
including low carb dieting, and diet tips for successful weight loss. Overview of popular
diets such as Fat Smash, Atkins, the Zone and South Beach, as well as reviews on popular
weight loss and diet supplements like hoodia appetite suppressants and stimulant diet
aids.
Baby Gift Ideas - Unique Gift Ideas -
Wedding and Corporate Gifts - Quality Gift Ideas
Specializing in top quality brand name retail gifts. Many brand name Baby Gift Ideas -
Unique gift ideas for Wedding, Corporate, and General gift giving.
Cosplay
Sells anime cosplay products, including high quality costumes, wigs, swords, and other
anime accessories.
Private Investigation Service - Los Angeles
California
Private investigation services serving Los Angles, San Diego and all of Southern
California. Surveillance (e.g. cheating spouse), background checks (e.g. pre-employment),
missing persons, process service, judgment recovery, asset investigation.
Atlanta Business Attorneys |
Georgia Commercial Litigation Attorneys
The Spaulding Law Group, LLC is a full-service Atlanta business and commercial litigation
law firm. Call 770-355-0780 to speak to an experienced business lawyer today. With offices
in Atlanta, Alpharetta and Cumming, our business dispute lawyers are never to far away. We
specialize in contract disputes, partnership disputes, business torts, landlord tenant
disputes and divorce matters.
Mr. Mission Possible | Ron
Sturgeon, Speaker, Mentor and Consultant
Ron has a passion for helping small businesses achieve success. His experience in
establishing and managing his own companies makes him a perfect ally for any business -
big or small. Over the years, Ron has learned practical ways to systematically build your
business and achieve greater efficiency, productivity, and profit. He will help you learn
to manage your resources, sharpen your marketing focus, and increase sales and revenue.
Ron has served as a successful consultant for start-ups, acquisitions, and turnarounds.
While Ron's business acumen is an asset for any venture, he has special knowledge in the
auto industry, having built many successful businesses in auto salvage, rental, storage,
and more.
Smart Choice Driver School of
North Texas
SmartChoice Driver School of North Texas provides the highest standards to the path of
Texas approved classroom driving education (driversed), and Texas approved behind the
wheel and observation training to teens and adults.
Excessive sweating and hyperhidrosis
antiperspirant
Excessive sweating and hyperhidrosis can be treated effectively with Maxim®
antiperspirant. Hyperhidrosis patients around the world have found enormous benefits with
our excessive sweating antiperspirant which is prescription strength.
Replastering, retiling, recoping and
deck surfacing
Located in the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex, Wylie Plastering, LLC is the premier
remodeling company for North Texas...family owned and operated, ...over 25 years.
Specialize in replastering, retiling, recoping, and deck resurfacing for residential and
commercial customers.
Jobs: Healthcare and Medical Job
Listings
Search healthcare medical jobs. Find online job listings in professional health care and
medical careers and post your resume on TopHealthcareJobs.net.
Call transfer | call routing |virtual
office phone numbers | Local and national Business voice mail | IVR
Live Call Transfer keeps you in touch and routes callers to any telephone number for
virtual and remote office applications.
ROhsoname
Blogging
OhsoName personal blog, an ongoing diary or commentary by an individual, is the
traditional, most common blog. Personal bloggers usually take pride in their blog posts,
even if their blog is never read. Blogs often become more than a way to just communicate;
they become a way to reflect on life, or works of art. Blogging can have a sentimental
quality.
B&G
Parts and Repair
B & G parts and repair service from B and G Service. Technical service for most
B&G marine navigation products. Parts include depth sensors, compass sensors, wind and
speed sensors.
Plano Garage Doors | Repair,
Service, Installation, New Garage Door Sales, Opener/Operators | Plano, Texas
10% Off Internet Coupon. A Dependable Garage Door Company has serviced Plano for 30+
years. Garage/overhead door repair, service, installation, new garage door sales,
opener/operators in Plano, TX.
Jacob Watches
We sell only the Top Quality, High End replica watches. All Styles of luxy Jacob &
Company Replica Watches are available. Jacob & Co Watches are 47mm, feature 5 Working
Time Zones, Exact Markings, Double Locking clasps, 2 bezels and the Leather Strap Colour
of Your Choice. Please check out our Jacob Replica Watches on SALE $119/85EU/80GBP and a
Wide Variety of Fabulous Designer Watches, Hot Designer Bags & Clothes by Christian
Audigier, Ed Hardy, Coogi, etc.
American Psychics - American
Psychics Online - Psychic Terminology - American Psychics - American Psychics Online
American Psychics - American Psychics Online - Psychic Terminology. Best American Psychics
is an online psychic directory which offers the best of the best psychics in the nation.
Thousands of people search every day for the best psychics online, but where can one find
the best psychics? Best American Psychics ensures that each professional psychic listed in
our directory is tested and proven to be accurate and ethical.
Spill Training Incident Management
Oil Spill Training Chemical Spill Training
Spill Training, Incident Management, Oil Spill Training and Chemical Spill Training from
Sapira Training.
Montana Gift Corral | Cabin Decor |
Western Gift
Montana Gift Corral brings you the essence of mountain living with our finest cabin decor,
the perfect western gift, and Montana souvenirs!
Salon and Spa Galleria
The perfect mix between a salon and a day spa. Get the royal treatment at
salonandspagalleria.com.
Please visit our sponsors via ads!
Back to top: The Mold in Dr. Florey's Coat
Please visit sponsors via ads!
