Difference between revisions of "Drug resistance"
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In 1940, the ''New York Times'' hailed the arrival of | In 1940, the ''New York Times'' hailed the arrival of | ||
:A new wonder-working chemical named sulfathiazole, the latest "relative" of the sulfanilimide group of "magic bullets," which promises to become the greatest weapon against a host of deadly bacterial infections for which no effective measures existed until now.<ref>Laurence, William L. (1940), "New 'Sulfa' Drug Widens Germ War," ''The New York Times,'' April 4, 1940, p. 19</ref> | :A new wonder-working chemical named sulfathiazole, the latest "relative" of the sulfanilimide group of "magic bullets," which promises to become the greatest weapon against a host of deadly bacterial infections for which no effective measures existed until now.<ref>Laurence, William L. (1940), "New 'Sulfa' Drug Widens Germ War," ''The New York Times,'' April 4, 1940, p. 19</ref> | ||
| − | After World War II, | + | After World War II, the sulfa drugs were followed by the first of the antibiotics, [[penicillin]] and [[streptomycin]]. The revolutionary impact of these drugs cannot be overstated; for the first time, serious bacterial diseases could be cured promptly and effectively. The phrases "wonder drug" and "miracle drug" were widely used. As early as 1952, however, the Times was reporting that "physicians said today that more bacteria were developing more resistance to 'wonder drugs.'"<ref>"Increased Resistance To 'Wonder Drugs' Seen", United Press, ''The New York Times,'' October 22, 1952, p. 22</ref> |
==Notes and references== | ==Notes and references== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
Revision as of 16:20, March 25, 2007
Drug resistance is the phenomenon whereby widespread use of an antibacterial drug is followed by the emergence of strains of bacteria capable of resisting the drug.
In 1940, the New York Times hailed the arrival of
- A new wonder-working chemical named sulfathiazole, the latest "relative" of the sulfanilimide group of "magic bullets," which promises to become the greatest weapon against a host of deadly bacterial infections for which no effective measures existed until now.[1]
After World War II, the sulfa drugs were followed by the first of the antibiotics, penicillin and streptomycin. The revolutionary impact of these drugs cannot be overstated; for the first time, serious bacterial diseases could be cured promptly and effectively. The phrases "wonder drug" and "miracle drug" were widely used. As early as 1952, however, the Times was reporting that "physicians said today that more bacteria were developing more resistance to 'wonder drugs.'"[2]