大象传媒

This story has been added to the People's War website by Helen Jubb on behalf of Mrs Warham, with her permission.

One of the outstanding memories of my time as a student nurse in Leeds General Infirmary during the war was the introduction of antibiotics in 1942.

In those days once a patient succumbed to a bacterial infection we had only the Sulphoromide drugs. These did not directly kill bacteria but could interfere with their ability to multiply. With some infections we were helpless and many wounds could get infected. Then we heard of this new drug called penicillin.

The first time I saw it used was very dramatic. The patient was a young man with blood poisoning. He had a swollen and infected leg. No treatment so far had had any affect and death was inevitable.

It was decided to try this new drug and there was quite a ceremony- doctors and nurses all in masks and white coats. This wonder drug was a yellowish liquid in a bottle brought in a box and placed on a stand. It was administered by a drip by needle into the muscular infection.

This was over a long period, then dripped directly into the muscle and was quite painful. However, within an hour there were dramatic signs of improvement, the inflammation subsided and his temperature reduced.

It seemed like a miracle- I suppose it was! Because of the legacy, penicillin became used generally very quickly and saved many lives.

Now its use has become taken for granted as a cure and people have become careless about prevention of infections and its use seems to have been proliferate when one remembers how precious it used to be.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.