THE RECORD
What changed
Fleming observed inhibition in 1928; Florey, Chain and industry made treatment and production practical in the 1940s.
EVIDENCE
What remains
Cultures, papers, clinical notes and wartime production files trace discovery to drug.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
It sharply reduced bacterial mortality and transformed surgery, childbirth and wartime care.
OPEN QUESTION
Where interpretation begins
A Fleming miracle story erases production teams and women lab workers; misuse accelerated resistance.