Albert Alexander
Encyclopedia
Reserve Constable Albert Alexander (c. 1897–15 March 1941) was the first patient
to be treated with injections of penicillin
.
Albert Alexander was a constable
in the police force of the County of Oxford, England
. In December 1940, Constable Alexander was accidentally scratched by a rose thorn in his mouth. By the end of the month the scratch was badly infected with both Staphylococcus
and Streptococcus
and Constable Alexander was hospitalised in the Radcliffe Infirmary
. Despite efforts of various treatments, Alexander's head was covered with abscesses and one of his eyes had been removed.
Ethel Florey, wife of pharmacologist and medic Dr Howard Walter Florey
, and Dr Charles Fletcher brought Constable Alexander's case to Florey's attention.
The ability of penicillin to slow/prevent bacterial infection had first been noticed by Sir Alexander Fleming
in 1928. Florey, Ernst Boris Chain
and Norman Heatley
, at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford
were working on the medical applications of penicillin
, as produced by the mould Penicillium notatum, and attempting to isolate large enough quantities of penicillin from the mould for a human trial.
Having only tried the extracted penicillin on mice, Florey and colleagues were fearful of the side effects large doses of penicillin might have. As a human volunteer they needed a patient that was in a terminal condition and Constable Alexander suited this requirement.
On 12 February 1941, Constable Alexander was given an intravenous infusion of 160 mg (200 units) of penicillin. Within 24 hours, Alexander's temperature had dropped, his appetite had returned and the infection had begun to heal. However, due to the instability of penicillin and the war time restrictions placed on Florey's laboratory, only a small quantity of penicillin had been extracted and, although Florey and colleagues extracted any remaining penicillin from Alexander's urine, by the fifth day they had run out.
Constable Alexander died on 15 March 1941.
Florey and his team decided only to work on sick children who did not need such large amounts of penicillin, until their methods of production improved.
Patient
A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....
to be treated with injections of penicillin
Penicillin
Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They include penicillin G, procaine penicillin, benzathine penicillin, and penicillin V....
.
Albert Alexander was a constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
in the police force of the County of Oxford, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. In December 1940, Constable Alexander was accidentally scratched by a rose thorn in his mouth. By the end of the month the scratch was badly infected with both Staphylococcus
Staphylococcus
Staphylococcus is a genus of Gram-positive bacteria. Under the microscope they appear round , and form in grape-like clusters....
and Streptococcus
Streptococcus
Streptococcus is a genus of spherical Gram-positive bacteria belonging to the phylum Firmicutes and the lactic acid bacteria group. Cellular division occurs along a single axis in these bacteria, and thus they grow in chains or pairs, hence the name — from Greek στρεπτος streptos, meaning...
and Constable Alexander was hospitalised in the Radcliffe Infirmary
Radcliffe Infirmary
The Radcliffe Infirmary was a hospital in central Oxford, England, located at the southern end of Woodstock Road on the western side, backing onto Walton Street. The Radcliffe Infirmary, named after physician John Radcliffe, opened in 1770 and was Oxford's first hospital...
. Despite efforts of various treatments, Alexander's head was covered with abscesses and one of his eyes had been removed.
Ethel Florey, wife of pharmacologist and medic Dr Howard Walter Florey
Howard Walter Florey
Howard Walter Florey, Baron Florey OM FRS was an Australian pharmacologist and pathologist who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1945 with Sir Ernst Boris Chain and Sir Alexander Fleming for his role in the making of penicillin. Florey's discoveries are estimated to have saved...
, and Dr Charles Fletcher brought Constable Alexander's case to Florey's attention.
The ability of penicillin to slow/prevent bacterial infection had first been noticed by Sir Alexander Fleming
Alexander Fleming
Sir Alexander Fleming was a Scottish biologist and pharmacologist. He wrote many articles on bacteriology, immunology, and chemotherapy...
in 1928. Florey, Ernst Boris Chain
Ernst Boris Chain
Sir Ernst Boris Chain was a German-born British biochemist, and a 1945 co-recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for his work on penicillin.-Biography:...
and Norman Heatley
Norman Heatley
Norman George Heatley was a member of the team of Oxford University scientists who developed penicillin.He was born in Woodbridge, Suffolk, and as a boy was an enthusiastic sailor of a small boat on the River Deben; an experience which gave him a lifelong love of sailing...
, at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
were working on the medical applications of penicillin
Penicillin
Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They include penicillin G, procaine penicillin, benzathine penicillin, and penicillin V....
, as produced by the mould Penicillium notatum, and attempting to isolate large enough quantities of penicillin from the mould for a human trial.
Having only tried the extracted penicillin on mice, Florey and colleagues were fearful of the side effects large doses of penicillin might have. As a human volunteer they needed a patient that was in a terminal condition and Constable Alexander suited this requirement.
On 12 February 1941, Constable Alexander was given an intravenous infusion of 160 mg (200 units) of penicillin. Within 24 hours, Alexander's temperature had dropped, his appetite had returned and the infection had begun to heal. However, due to the instability of penicillin and the war time restrictions placed on Florey's laboratory, only a small quantity of penicillin had been extracted and, although Florey and colleagues extracted any remaining penicillin from Alexander's urine, by the fifth day they had run out.
Constable Alexander died on 15 March 1941.
Florey and his team decided only to work on sick children who did not need such large amounts of penicillin, until their methods of production improved.