How antibiotics saved lives during World War II
Learn more about the development of antibiotics and their use in World War II.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
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Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.British Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressing a joint session of the U.S. Congress on Dec. 26, 1941, declaring that the United States and Britain will “never cease to persevere” against the Japanese empire.
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Transcript
World War II was a conflict that involved virtually every part of the world from 1939 to 1945.
The war caused an estimated 40 to 50 million deaths, making it the bloodiest conflict in history.
But though World War II was incredibly deadly, it was actually more survivable for soldiers than most wars that came before it.
About 50% of wounded or ill soldiers survived their injuries or illnesses—a stark contrast to the mere 4% survival rate of World War I just a few decades earlier.
Many of the 50% owed their recovery to a new medical discovery that enabled their bodies to fight infection rather than succumb to it: the development of antibiotics.
In 1932 German scientist Gerhard Domagk announced the creation of Prontosil, the first sulfonamide drug.
Sulfonamides are chemical compounds with antibacterial properties. Called “sulfa drugs” and available in powdered and tablet form, soldiers could carry these antibiotics in their medical kits—where they were easily accessible to treat bacterial infections like streptococcal pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis.
But though sulfa drugs were convenient, they weren’t perfect—and were often accompanied by a whole lot of side effects.
Luckily, research continued on the bacteria-killing properties of penicillin, which had been discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928.
When isolated into a liquid, penicillin could be injected into the human bloodstream, where it would attack harmful bacteria and leave healthy human cells alone.
By 1941, the more effective drug was available to soldiers in injectable form.
The war caused an estimated 40 to 50 million deaths, making it the bloodiest conflict in history.
But though World War II was incredibly deadly, it was actually more survivable for soldiers than most wars that came before it.
About 50% of wounded or ill soldiers survived their injuries or illnesses—a stark contrast to the mere 4% survival rate of World War I just a few decades earlier.
Many of the 50% owed their recovery to a new medical discovery that enabled their bodies to fight infection rather than succumb to it: the development of antibiotics.
In 1932 German scientist Gerhard Domagk announced the creation of Prontosil, the first sulfonamide drug.
Sulfonamides are chemical compounds with antibacterial properties. Called “sulfa drugs” and available in powdered and tablet form, soldiers could carry these antibiotics in their medical kits—where they were easily accessible to treat bacterial infections like streptococcal pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis.
But though sulfa drugs were convenient, they weren’t perfect—and were often accompanied by a whole lot of side effects.
Luckily, research continued on the bacteria-killing properties of penicillin, which had been discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928.
When isolated into a liquid, penicillin could be injected into the human bloodstream, where it would attack harmful bacteria and leave healthy human cells alone.
By 1941, the more effective drug was available to soldiers in injectable form.
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