Guns, Not Roses – The True Story Of Penicillin’s First Patient

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The story of penicillin’s first patient is a popular one, but the origins of his infection seem to be hidden in propaganda. Hailing from Oxford, police officer Albert Alexander was dying from sepsis when he was treated with penicillin; the infection was said to arise from a rosebush’s thorn. However, his family maintains that his infected wound was the result of shrapnel from a German bomb raid on the city. It’s speculated that the rosebush story was fabricated to minimise the effects of bombings and keep morale high. Read full article here

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