How Did Alexander Fleming Help Soldiers

In 1914, during the Second World War, soldiers were dying like flies with massive numbers of dead at over 10 million. Automatic rifles and artillery fire were no respecters of person, nor was chemical warfare, no matter what side you were fighting on. If a bullet didn’t kill a soldier, it was almost a death sentence if he was wounded in battle, no matter how minor the wound. This death sentence was caused by wound infections, and the doctors in the field hospitals were working fervently to save lives. Alexander Fleming was one of those doctors. Alexander Fleming attended the Royal Polytechnic Institute in London. After receiving an inheritance from a family member, he was able to attend St. Mary’s Hospital medical school. Mr. Fleming used his training from medical school to help him in the Royal Army Medical Corp. Before the start of the war, Fleming was an assistant bacteriologist, but once Britain entered the war, his research was put on hold. During the war, Fleming saw firsthand how deadly the antiseptics being used were. Once he was out of the service, he was able to return to his
No doubt the pain and suffering endured by the soldiers could have been greatly reduced by its use. It was not only a miracle drug for the soldiers in battle, it also saved many lives in society. Children who received cuts and scrapes during play could now be cured in a relatively short time with this simple fungus. Often simple wounds, or even wounds received by farmers, or factory workers who were hurt on the job were often a death sentence. The discovery of penicillin changed that. Not only was penicillin great at healing wounds, it was also effective against diseases such as syphilis, strep throat, and rheumatic fever. When you consider the massive number of people whose lives have been saved, it is easy to declare that penicillin is one of the greatest discoveries of all