THE MICROBIOTICS 



By John N. McDonnell, D. Sc. 



Although very new and little understood, the microbiotic drugs pre- 

 sent one of the most striking developments in the history of the health 

 sciences. Within half a decade, an entirely new therapeutic concept 

 has been instituted. An important new group of efficacious drugs has 

 been made available to the medical profession for the eradication of 

 disease. 



Many scientists believe, however, that the surface of this new sub- 

 ject literally has only been touched. The microbiotic drugs, and cer- 

 tainly those best known at this time, have far greater possibilities than 

 are appreciated at present. 



NOMENCLATURE 



From a technical viewpoint, the term "microbiotics" is a misnomer, 

 when applied to the group of chemotherapeutic agents derived directly 

 from micro-organisms. Other descriptive names have been proposed, 

 such as "antibiotics" and others. None of these names is adequate, but 

 for the present they are accepted. 



Since the days of Pasteur and Koch in the infancy of bacteriology, 

 the use of the biological products has been the accepted mode of therapy 

 in the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by pathogenic bac- 

 teria. Serums and vaccines, toxins and toxoids, and antitoxins have 

 been developed containing, or designed to create, natural antibodies 

 by means of which a patient may be immunized or protected against a 

 pathogenic bacterial infection, or by means of which an infectious dis- 

 ease may be successfully treated. In the past, these natural products 

 have satisfactorily served to reduce the incidence and mortality of cer- 

 tain contagious bacterial and virus-caused diseases. However, they 



1 Reprinted by permission from the American Journal of Pharmacy, vol. 116, No. 11, 

 November 1944, with revisions by the author. 



* Chief, Research and Statistics Unit, Drugs and Cosmetics Branch, Chemicals Bureau, 

 War Production Board, Washington, and Director of the War Production Board's Civilian 

 Penicillin Distribution Office in Chicago ; Assistant Professor in Pharmacy, Philadelphia 

 College of Pharmacy and Science ; Editor of American Professional Pharmacist and of 

 El Farmaceutico ; Format Editor, Medical Times. 



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