Penicillin Progress

Penicillin made news and progress again last week. During July the 2,000 U.S. depot hospitals which distribute penicillin (TIME, May 22) will get 20% more than they did in June, WPB announced.

Other new penicillin facts:

P: The U.S., which now makes 95% of the world's penicillin, plans this month to export 1,000,000,000 units to the 18 Latin American countries, will soon export penicillin to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India and the British West Indies.

P: New York City's Mayor LaGuardia said that in six weeks the city's needy will get penicillin free of charge.

P: By using high-frequency currents to boil penicillin solutions, R.C.A.'s Dr. George Harold Brown can dehydrate the drug in 30 minutes, compared with the 24 hours required by the freeze-drying process now in use. Dr. Brown boils the solution at 50DEG F. in a low vacuum (penicillin disintegrates at high temperatures). This takes out about 90% of the moisture. A few minutes of freeze-drying finishes the job.

P: Flotill Products, Inc. of Stockton, Calif. has found a fine new food for penicillium mold--old asparagus butts, which canneries discard.

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