Abstract
THE unique biological properties of penicillin, as shown by its high toxicity to certain bacteria and tolerance by the mammalian organism, gave such promise of medical value that an unprecedented effort was made to work out the chemical constitution of penicillin in order to devise methods of chemical synthesis which could be used on a commercial scale. The objective which provided the impetus to the research has not been achieved, however, and it is not likely that the present biosynthetic methods will be superseded by chemical methods in the near future.
The Chemistry of Penicillin
Report on a Collaborative Investigation by American and British Chemists under the joint sponsorship of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, Washington, D.C., and the Medical Research Council, London. Compiled under the auspices of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C., pursuant to a Contract with the Office of Scientific Research and Development. Editorial Board: Hans T. Clarke John R. Johnson Sir Robert Robinson. Pp. x + 1094. (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press; London: Oxford University Press, 1949.) £9 9s. net.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
MITCHELL , P. A Description of Penicillin. Nature 164, 851–852 (1949). https://doi.org/10.1038/164851a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/164851a0
