Waksman — 122 — Actinomycetes 



stituents of the medium, and production of streptomycin are illustrated 

 in Tables 26 and 27. 



A brief antibiotic spectrum of streptomycin as compared to that of 

 another antibiotic produced by another strain of S. griseiis, namely 

 grisein, is given in Table 28. The isolation, purification, and practical 

 utilization of streptomycin in clinical medicine have had a most inter- 

 esting history (390). Of particular interest vi'as the discovery that the 



J 





-^ 





\ 



Fig. 25.— Streptomyciii-piocluciiig strain ot S. ur/.scns, showing vegetative and 

 aerial mycelium Cfrom Waksman and Schatz, 479). 



new antibiotic is also active against acid-fast bacteria (394), that it is 

 not very toxic to animals, and that it is active both in vitro and in vivo 

 against infections caused by various bacteria, including the organism 

 that causes tuberculosis. Before many months had elapsed, strepto- 

 mycin was tested clinically, and found to be effective against gram- 

 negative bacteria causing a variety of human infections. It was also 

 established that it is effective, not only in experimental tuberculosis, but 



