394 ANTIBIOTIC SUBSTANCES 



have recently found that Streptomyces griseus produces a substance 

 which possesses activity against the Gram-negative group of organ- 

 isms. Because it is apparently non-toxic, as is penicillin, in amounts 

 used therapeutically, interest has been focused on this antibiotic. 

 Chemically, streptomycin behaves as an organic base (penicillin acts 

 as an organic acid). Unlike penicillin, it is insoluble in ether or 

 chloroform but soluble in water and dilute acid solutions. Feldman 

 and Hinshaw '^ have concluded from their studies that this new anti- 

 biotic may be of value in the treatment of tuberculosis. Fordyce 

 R. Heilman has demonstrated by both in vitro and in vivo experi- 

 ments that this drug may have possible use in the treatment of 

 diseases caused by the Gram-negative organisms such as Pasteurella 

 tularensis " and organisms of the Klebsiella genus.^- Robinson, 

 Smith and Graessle ^^ have reported on further studies of the chemo- 

 therapeutic properties of streptomycin. 



MISCELLANEOUS ANTIBIOTIC SUBSTANCES 



The dramatic chemotherapeutic usefulness of penicillin has stimu- 

 lated a number of workers to study antibiotic substances produced 

 by other fungi. Already an imposing list of these antibiotic agents 

 has been investigated. For the most part, these substances have 

 proved to be of toxic nature to experimental animals. However, 

 further investigations may very well lead to new chemotherapeutic 

 agents. Streptomycin was such an antibiotic isolated and studied 

 after penicillin was discovered, and now shows useful possibilities. 

 It might be pointed out that the organism which produces the peni- 

 cillin of Fleming also produces a second antibiotic principle, evi- 

 dently an oxidase which produces hydrogen peroxide in the presence 

 of glucose. It is unfortunate that the term penicillin B has sometimes 

 been used for it and some confusion may possibly arise. Table 5 

 lists some of the other antibiotic substances that have been isolated 

 from certain molds and actinomycetes. 



LITERATURE 



1. Abraham, E. P., and E. Chain, Purification and some physical and chemical 



properties of penicillin; with a note on the spectrographic examination 

 of penicillin preparations by E. R. Holiday, Brit. J. Exptl. Path., 23, 103 

 (1942). 



2. Catch, J. R., A. H. Cook, and I. M. Heilbron, Purification and chemistry 



of penicilhn, Nature, 150, 633 (1942). 



3. Clutterbuck, p. W., R. Lovell, ajid H. Raistrick, Studies on the biochem- 



istry of microorganisms; the formation from glucose by members of the 



