The History of Medicine

Next up, we discover the next big, broad-spectrum antibiotic. A company called Parke-Davis investigates medicines from around the world, and through the work of many scientists, they find yet another new bacteria, and another new drug. The drug is dubbed Chloromycetin, or chloramphenicol generically, and it will mark the beginning of the end of the golden age of antibiotics. Nitrobenzene Structure Chloromycetin/Choramphenicol Structure Website: http://thehistoryofmedicine.buzzsprout.com/E-mail: thehistoryofmedicinepodcast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryOfMedicine/Transcripts and Sources here!

This week, we leave the US, and travel to the Phillipines, where we are still looking for new antibiotics in the dirt. One Dr. Abelardo Aguilar, working for the company Eli Lilly, eventually discover a new class of antibiotics, known as macrolides, and Robert Woodward Burns our genius chemist makes a re-appearance. Erythromycin StructureWebsite: http://thehistoryofmedicine.buzzsprout.com/E-mail: thehistoryofmedicinepodcast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryOfMedicine/Transcripts and Sources here!

This week we learn about a motley crew of great scientists and researchers, including Yellapragada Subbarao, Benjamin Duggar, and Alexander Finlay, from numerous companies, who all work to bring us our first antibiotics that target both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Aureomycin StructureTerramycin StructureWebsite: http://thehistoryofmedicine.buzzsprout.com/E-mail: thehistoryofmedicinepodcast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryOfMedicine/Transcripts and Sources here!

This week we take a short detour, to describe one application of Waksman and Schatz's work on streptomycin. Our hero this time is Austin Bradford Hill, a mathematician who, with innovative study design, is able to definitely prove that streptomycin can treat tuberculosis, a notoriously complicated disease. Website: http://thehistoryofmedicine.buzzsprout.com/E-mail: thehistoryofmedicinepodcast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryOfMedicine/ Transcripts and Sources here! 

After Fleming and the Oxford gang kick off the antibiotic revolution, others are inspired, and seek new ways to discover their own antibiotics. Selman A Waksman assembles a team at Rutgers University, and discovers an entirely new way to find antibiotics. They create the next miracle drug, streptomycin, further increasing the reach of our medicines. Website: http://thehistoryofmedicine.buzzsprout.com/E-mail: thehistoryofmedicinepodcast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryOfMedicine/Transcripts and Sources here!

This week, we finally bring penicillin to its full potential. A team of brilliant scientists at Oxford figure out how to mass-produce it, and Hodgkin figures out its structure. Penicillin  saves millions, inspires a new future in medicine, and defines a number of great scientists' careers.Images:Heatley's purifier.Beta Lactam's Structure.Website: http://thehistoryofmedicine.buzzsprout.com/E-mail: thehistoryofmedicinepodcast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryOfMedicine/Transcripts and Sources here!

We finally come to penicillin. Alec Fleming stumbles upon a fungus contaminating one of his samples, and kicks off a long series of events that will lead to the best known antibiotic. Website: http://thehistoryofmedicine.buzzsprout.com/E-mail: thehistoryofmedicinepodcast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryOfMedicine/Transcripts and Sources here!

This time, I tell the story of one Gerard Domagk. This brilliant scientist discovers one of the first antibiotics, which as a class of drugs come to be known as sulfa drugs. They're not perfect, but they're a huge step on our journey. Website: http://thehistoryofmedicine.buzzsprout.com/E-mail: thehistoryofmedicinepodcast@gmail.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHistoryOfMedicine/Transcripts and Sources here!

Paul Ehrlich, known for discovering the first targeted treatment for syphilis, dives into the revolutionary ideas behind the development of antibiotics. He shares insights on his groundbreaking work with Salvarsan, the concept of 'magic bullets,' and the impact of his discoveries on modern medicine. Listeners will learn about the early perception of germs, thanks to pioneers like Pasteur and Lister, and how these foundations set the stage for antibiotics that would change healthcare forever.

This podcast explores the history of the bubonic plague, highlighting its painful symptoms, mortality rates, and psychological effects. It delves into the impact of the Plague of Justinian and the Black Death in Europe, and also discusses the lasting innovations and breakthroughs resulting from Yersinia Pestis.