medical question

At what point did antibiotics become available to Allied military physicians? I understand that these were not available for civilian use until later. Thanks

The first true antibiotic was penicillin, used by British researchers from about 1940 on a very small scale (a handful of patients.) Mass use required mass production, developed in the USA in 1941-43. Earliest supplies were delivered mostly to the military but there was reasonably abundant supply by 1945, when penicillin was announced to the world (cf. Nobel prizes awarded to its developers 1945.)

While not true antibiotics, the sulfa drugs were effective antibacterial agents. These were available in large quantities from about 1940 as it was possible to synthesize them chemically. I know the Allies possessed them but I am less sure about the Germans and Japanese.

Jim Erickson

: agents. These were available in large quantities from about 1940 as it : was possible to synthesize them chemically. I know the Allies possessed : them but I am less sure about the Germans and Japanese.

I don't believe the Germans and Japanese (and probably not the Russians, either) had sulfa.

For those who've seen Saving Private Ryan: when the medics are liberally sprinkling white powder on wounds, that's sulfa. It made a terrific difference in survival rates. The first priority is to keep your casualty from dying from shock and blood loss. Number two is to prevent infection; that's what the sulfa's for.

I believe Prontosil was a sulfa drug. It colored the urine orange. I remember it being prescribed by our family doctor for something before 1940 in Germany.

Heinz, you are correct, Prontosil was the first sulfa drug. It was synthesized in 1932 by two German chemists (Mietzsch and Klarer) and shown to be effective against infections by Gerhard Domagk. Interestingly Domagk's daughter developed a serious Streptococcal infection during the early research trials that did not respond to common treatments. In desperation he treated her with Prontosil and she recovered. Domagk received the 1939 Nobel Prize in Medicine but was prevented by the Nazis from receiving the award. (He was able to accept it in 1947.)

Shortly after Prontosils discovery, a French scientist determined that the active portion of Prontosil was the molecule sulfanilamide. Sulfanilamide became the most common of the sulfa drugs and subsequent drug developments were modifications of sulfanilamide. One derivative which was very effective against gas gangrene when applied topically to wounds was marfinil. In his Nobel lecture Domagk noted that in Germany individuals severely wounded in air raids who received prompt treatment with marfinil stood a good chance of survival, whereas deaths among less severely wounded people who did not receive the drug were abnormally high.

Sources: 'The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics' edited by Hardman, Limbird, Molinoff, Ruddon and Gilman, and 'The Nobel Prize Winners Physiology or Medicine' Vol 1 1901-1944 edited by Frank N. Magill.

Jim Erickson

BTW, I suspect that the orange colored urine was due to Prontosil being a derivative of an azo dye. I suspect that most sulfa drugs do not have this effect as they are based on sulfanilamide. Perhaps someone who took or prescribed the drugs can provide an answer?