Penicillin


 * The Discovery of Penicillin**

**by Lashe, Grade 6**

Penicillin is a drug that kills many germs, but is not harmful to the human body. It was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928. Penicillin has cured many sicknesses and saved many lives. Dr. Alexander Fleming worked at St. Mary’s Hospital. He worked to find medicine to heal people of their sicknesses. He wanted to find medicine to kill bacteria, but would not be harmful.

In 1928 Dr. Fleming was working with Petri dishes. Petri dishes are plates with gelatin that grows bacteria. One day Dr. Fleming accidentally used a dirty Petri dish and mold grew. The mold started to kill all of the bacteria around it. When Dr. Fleming noticed that the bacteria was disappearing he realized that the mold had great potential.

Before 1928 people died of many illnesses that today we don’t take very seriously. People could die of anything as little as an ear infection. If it weren’t for Alexander Fleming, many more lives would be lost.