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Dunn School Head reflects on Penicillin Anniversary and Birth of the Antibiotic Era

  • General

February 12th marks the 75th anniversary of the first therapeutic dose of penicillin being administered to Albert Alexander in 1941, a policeman in the Radcliffe Infirmary on Woodstock Road.

Dunn school head reflects on penicillin anniversary and birth of the antibiotic era © r.classen - Shutterstock

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Its link to the penicillin story has given the Dunn School one of the permanent top spots in the annals of biomedical history. 

Head of Department, Matthew Freeman said:  "this was the birth of the antibiotic era and, unsurprisingly, was recently voted as the greatest medical discovery of the 20th century.  It’s a great story (though sadly Albert Alexander died because they did not have enough penicillin for a complete course)."

Find out more (Sir William Dunn School of Pathology website)