Scottish bacteriologist (1881–1955) who shared the 1945 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his role in the discovery and isolation of penicillin. Two letters: TLS signed “A. Fleming,” one page, 5 x 8, Inoculation Department St. Mary’s Hospital letterhead, April 9, 1946. Letter to Messrs. Boots Pure Drug Co. Ltd. regarding “Penicillin Lozenges, 500 units.” In full: “These lozenges have been given a very extensive trial amongst patients, either suffering from inflammations in the throat or from affections of the mouth including Vincent’s angina and, in many cases, with only commencing soreness in the throat without the development of an actual attack. We have had a number of cases in which the use of the lozenges appeared to be followed by stomatitis or glossitis, the latter being the more common of the two. In one or two cases that we have seen the tongue appeared quite sore and inflammed [sic]. The etiology of this has puzzled us and I should be obliged if you could throw some light on this bearing in mind that what ever the base of the lozenge it is held in the mouth continuously for comparatively long periods. Could you let me know what base you use in the make up of these lozenges? Can this be a factor in the etiology of the trouble?” Also includes another TLS signed “A. Fleming,” one page, 4.5 x 3.5, identical letterhead, April 27, 1945. In full: “I shall be very grateful if you could let me have the composition of the medium on which you spore Penicillium notatum. I hope there is no secret about it and if there is not I want to pass it on to Dr. St. John Brooks at the National Collection for Type Cultures.” In overall fine condition, with toning to trimmed edges of one letter and scattered creases. It was Penicillium notatum that led Fleming to his important discovery—after a culture had been accidentally contaminated by the green mold, Fleming isolated it, grew it, and found that the substance it produced was capable of killing many types of common infectious bacteria. This is an exceptional pairing of letters, both directly pertaining to the pioneer’s work in the medical field. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for
(inquire for price)
*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.
We use cookies on this site to improve your experience. By using this site, you accept our use of cookies. To learn more, please see our Privacy Policy.
