386 ANTIBIOTIC SUBSTANCES 



strick ^ in their studies of various mold metabolic products investi- 

 gated certain chemical properties of the antibacterial substance of 

 Fleming produced by P. chrysogenum. From that time on, except 

 for occasional papers by Fleming, Reid,^^ or MacLean,^* penicillin 

 was generally unnoticed until the investigation of its chemothera- 

 peutic properties by the Oxford University group of workers under 

 the able leadership of Florey demonstrated its useful possibilities. 

 Since that time innumerable investigators have studied methods of 

 its production, its pharmacology, its chemistry, and its medical ap- 

 plications. Prominent among those studying methods of production 

 have been the workers at the Northern Regional Research Laboratory 

 under the leadership of Coghill. 



Very little has been published about the chemistry of this com- 

 pound. According to Abraham and Chain,^ the barium salt of peni- 

 cillin is said to haive an empirical formula of Co4H320ioN2Ba, with 

 a molecular weight of 645, or C23H3o09N2Ba. Catch, Cook, and 

 Heilbron ^ have suggested that the formula of the strontium salt is 

 C24H340iiNSr. Meyer, et al., ^° from their studies with the am- 

 monium salt, suggest the formula of CuHioNOg or C14H17NO5 + 

 H2O for penicillin. Thus the agreement is fairly good. Abraham 

 and Chain suggest that there may be present a ketonic, two acetyl- 

 able, and one latent carboxylic group. Catch and his associates 

 suggest that while penicillin titrates as a monobasic acid, it may be 

 more enolic in character. It is soluble in such solvents as ether, 

 acetone, esters, and dioxane; moderately soluble in chloroform; and 

 slightly soluble in benzene and carbon tetrachloride. In water, it is 

 soluble to the extent of about 0.5 per cent. 



•This chemotherapeutic agent generally displays a selective action 

 toward bacteria, being m^ore active against the Gram-positive than 

 the Gram-negative organisms. At present it has been reported to 

 be of value when used against staphylococcic, hemolytic strepto- 

 coccic, anaerobic streptococcic, pncumococcic, and gonococcic infec- 

 tions. It has also been found to be of, as yet undetermined, value 

 against syphilis, actinomycosis, and bacterial endocarditis. It is 

 beneficial, but its true worth against these diseases has not been 

 fully established. It is of questionable value in cases of ruptured 

 appendix, liver abscesses, urinary tract infections, and rat bite fever 

 due to "Streptobacillus moniliformis.'' Penicillin is of no value in 

 infections caused by most Gram-negative bacteria, tuberculosis, acute 

 rheumatic fever, infectious mononucleosis, coccidomycosis, malaria, 

 blastomycosis, histoplasmosis, and certain other diseases. See Her- 

 rell ^^ for a list of susceptible and unsusceptible organisms, An im- 



