The Miracle of Antibiotics

The Age of Antibiotics officially began in 1935 when a German scientist named Gerhard Domagk, who worked as a research scientist for Bayer, discovered that a coal tar substance (a sulphaniamide called Prontosil) killed the streptococcus bacteria. Combined with antiseptic surgery, this discovery increased surgical patients chances of survival.  Sufaniamides, called sulpha drugs, had some serious side effects, as many people were violently allergic, but the drug's ability to fight infections was nothing short of miraculous.  Robert would definitely have carried sulpha powder in his medical bag from 1935 on....especially when other sulphaniamides were discovered that could cure meningitis and bacterial pneumonia.

In reality, the first and most famous antibiotic had been discovered in 1928 by Sir Alexander Fleming, but penicillin was not generally available until it was mass produced just before the second world war. Now we worry about the effects of over use of penicillin and other antibiotics, but at that time penicillin's discovery meant that doctors could finally cure infectious diseases caused by bacteria. One conservative estimate is that 90 million lives have been saved by penicillin. Eventually , it became available in topical, injectable and tablet form, so yes, Robert would certainly have carried penicillin in his medical bag by the end of the 1930's.

There is a story, probably apocryphal, but prophetic, that Fleming, who was a bacteriologist, commented that he feared the miracle that he had discovered would be overused. Patients wanting to be cured would request antibiotics and doctors would over prescribe. Unfortunately this has happened, and and this overuse has contributed to the present day growth of antibiotic resistant superbugs.

To learn more about antibiotics and Sir Alexander Fleming, go to
http://history1900s.about.com/od/medicaladvancesissues/a/penicillin.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/sulfonamides-oral/article.htm