History of penicillin History of penicillin The history of penicillin follows a number of observations and discoveries of apparent evidence of antibiotic activity in molds before the modern isolation of the chemical penicillin in 1928. There are anecdotes about ancient societies using molds to treat infections, and in the following centuries many people observed the inhibition of bacterial growth by various molds. However, it is unknown if the species involved were "Penicillium" species or if the antimicrobial substances produced were penicillin. The Scottish physician Alexander Fleming was the first to suggest that a "Penicillium" mold must secrete an antibacterial substance, and the first
HMS Valentine (L69) Second Battle of Heligoland Bight. An attempt by "Valentine" and the destroyer to carry out a torpedo attack on German cruisers proved unsuccessful. In 1919, "Valentine" was deployed to the Baltic Sea as part of the British intervention in the Russian Civil War, which helped to ensure the independence of the Baltic states. Post-war, "Valentine" formed part of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla, first as part of the Atlantic Fleet and later as part of the Mediterranean Fleet. In the 1920s, "Valentine"s twin torpedo tubes were replaced by triple tubes, giving a torpedo armament of six 21 inch torpedoes, and the