Native penicillin versus Modern penicillin in the run up to Indian Independence

The mere thought of putting native penicillin (basically mold slime excrement) into the human bloodstream just to save a life was anathema to most European and North American doctors in the years between 1928 and 1943.

They preferred to wait, wait until (or if) modern synthetic European-made penicillin was available.

Too bad about your mother, though.

And any European or American doctor that dared to inject native penicillin into white veins, was seen as letting down the side ------ going native.

Losing face.


They couldn't be publicly seen as de facto admitting that the smartest, whitest, most European chemists in the universe can't do what the simple little fungus tossed off so nonchalantly - make this new miracle life saver, penicillin.

Not in front of the women, or the darkies, or the dock labourers.

Won't do, old boy, just won't do.

You'd be blackballed down at the Club.

So native penicillin was not allowed to be made in 1944 era India, from its abundant agricultural waste and very cheap hand labour.

Perhaps that is why today native penicillin is mostly made by the darkies, in places like newly independent India - and then sold at a good profit to the white European and American chemists, all who make none of their own.

Native revenge is sweet - or if not sweet, at least a slightly off-white, slightly bitter, naturally-grown powder....