{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T15:52:25Z","timestamp":1787759545359,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"1","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Med Humanities"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2011,9,2]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,6]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Penicillin is often considered one of the greatest discoveries of 20th century medicine. However, the revolution in therapeutics brought about by sulphonamides also had a profound effect on British medicine, particularly during World War II (WWII). Sulphonamides were used to successfully treat many infections which later yielded to penicillin and so their role deserves wider acknowledgement. The sulphonamides, a pre-war German discovery, were widely used clinically. However, the revolution brought about by the drugs has been either neglected or obscured by penicillin, resulting in less research on their use in Britain during WWII. By examining Medical Research Council records, particularly war memorandums, as well as medical journals, archives and newspaper reports, this paper hopes to highlight the importance of the sulphonamides and demonstrate their critical role in the medical war effort and their importance in both the public and more particularly, the medical, sectors. It will present evidence to show that sulphonamides gained importance due to the increased prevalence of infection which compromised the health of servicemen during WWII. The frequency of these infections led to an increase in demand and production. However, the sulphonamides were soon surpassed by penicillin, which had fewer side-effects and could treat syphilis and sulphonamide-resistant infections. Nevertheless, despite these limitations, the sulphonamides drugs were arguably more important in revolutionising medicine than penicillin, as they achieved the first real success in the war against bacteria.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1136\/medhum-2011-010024","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2011,10,4]],"date-time":"2011-10-04T02:15:40Z","timestamp":1317694540000},"page":"55-58","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["The war against bacteria: how were sulphonamide drugs used by Britain during World War II?"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"38","author":[{"given":"Diana","family":"Davenport","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2011,10,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Lesch JE . The First Miracle Drugs\u2014How the Sulfa Drugs Transformed Medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780195187755.001.0001"},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Amyes SGB . Magic Bullet, Lost Horizons: The Rise and Fall of Antibiotics. London: Taylor and Francis, 2001.","DOI":"10.1201\/b12641"},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Harrison M . Medicine and Victory: British Military Medicine in the Second World War. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780199268597.001.0001"},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.4","unstructured":"Noble WC . Coli, Great Healer of Men: the Biography of Dr. Leonard Colebrook. London: Heinemann, 1974."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.5","unstructured":"Monthly memorandum points for propaganda. Archives and Manuscripts. Wellcome Library, 1940. WF\/M\/GB\/30\/11."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.6","unstructured":"Fleming A . Conference on War Wounds. National Archives, 1940. FD1\/6274."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.7","first-page":"3","article-title":"Pharmacology and general therapeutic measures- the War Office, Memorandum concerning sulphonamide derivatives","volume":"1","author":"Scott","year":"1941","journal-title":"Bull War Med"},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.8","unstructured":"Sulphaguanidine, Archives and Manuscripts. Wellcome Library. WF\/TRC\/02\/003."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.9","unstructured":"Postan M . British War Production: History of the Second World War. London: Her Majesty's Stationary Office, 1952."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.10","unstructured":"Times. British War Production, 1939-1945: A Record Compiled by the Times. London: Times, 1945."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.11","unstructured":"Medical Supplies Committee 1st Meeting 12\/07\/1938. National Archives. SUPP 3\/88."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.12","unstructured":"Newspaper articles. Daily Sketch\u2014Evening News and Scottish Daily Mail. Archives and Manuscripts. Wellcome Library. WA\/CRL\/10\/7."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.13","unstructured":"Bristol Evening Post. Archives and Manuscripts. Wellcome Library, 1944. WA \/CRL\/10\/7."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.14","unstructured":"Clark GH . Ministry of Health\u2014History of the War. Medical Supplies. National Archives. CAB 102\/718."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.15","unstructured":"Modern chemotherapy. The Times. London 1943. pg 5, col 6."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.16","first-page":"448","article-title":"Chemotherapy in relation to war wounds- reports of societies","volume":"4132","year":"1940","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.17","unstructured":"Medical Research Council. A Survey of the Work of the War Wounds Committee 1940-1945. National Archives. FD 1\/6272."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.18","unstructured":"Medical Research Council. The Prevention of \u201cHospital Infection\u201d of Wounds. War Memorandum No.6. London: Her Majesties Stationary Office, 1941."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.19","unstructured":"Letter from Leonard Colebrook to Sir Edward Mellanby. National Archives, 1939. FD 1\/1529."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.20","unstructured":"Medical Research Council. The Medical Use of Sulphonamides. War Memorandum No.10. London: Her Majesties Stationary Office, 1943."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.21","unstructured":"Medical Research Council. Notes on Gas Gangrene: Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment with an Account of the Technique of Wound-Excision and a Scheme for the Bacteriological Investigation of War Wounds. War Memorandum No.2. London: Her Majesties Stationary Office, 1943."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.22","first-page":"419","article-title":"The prevention of gas gangrene","volume":"2","year":"1941","journal-title":"The Lancet"},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.23","unstructured":"Cope Z , ed. Surgery\u2014History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Medical Series. London: Her Majesties Stationary Office, 1953."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.24","unstructured":"Medical Research Council. The Medical Use of Sulphonamides. War Memorandum No.10. London: HMSO, 1945."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.25","unstructured":"Described to the Subcommittee of Burns on 22\/9\/1942. National Archives. FD 1\/7029."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.26","unstructured":"Daily Mail. Archives and Manuscripts. Wellcome Library, 1944. WA\/CRL\/10\/7."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.27","unstructured":"Bulmer E Priest WM . Sulphaguanidine in the treatment of bacillary dysentery. J Roy Army Med Corps 1942."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.28","unstructured":"Dysentery trials of Sulphaguanidine. Letter to Dr Martin from Professor Topley. National Archives, 1941. FD 1\/6225."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.29","first-page":"2","article-title":"Comparative effects of sulphonamide drugs in mild bacillary dysentery","volume":"5","year":"1944","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.30","unstructured":"Harrison . Veneral Disease. In: Sir MacNalty AS , ed. The Civilian Health and Medical Services. Vol. 1. London: Her Majesties Stationary Office, 1953-55."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.31","unstructured":"Infection in war time. The Times. London 1942. pg 2 col 4."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.32","unstructured":"Incidence of VD. National Archives. WO 32\/17701."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.33","unstructured":"The sulphonamides. The Medical Officer. National Archives, 1943. FD 1\/6911."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.34","first-page":"194","article-title":"Harkness. Letters to the editor\u2014sulphonamide and gonorrhoea","volume":"6310","year":"1944","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.35","unstructured":"Memorandum of Sulphonamide Therapy Letter from Dr Green to Colonel Harrison. National Archives, 1944. FD 1\/6912."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.36","unstructured":"Harrison LW . Official History of the War\u2014the Preliminary Contribution on Technical Developments in the Management of Venereal Disease. Venereal Diseases: Miscellaneous Reports. National Archives, 1931. AIR 49\/365."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.37","unstructured":"History of the War\u2014Venereal disease in the British army 3rd September 1939-31st August 1943. National Archives, WO 222\/12."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Osmond TE . Venereal disease in peace and war. 1949;3:101\u201314.","DOI":"10.1136\/sti.25.3.101"},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.39","unstructured":"Extract from West Africa. Archives and Manuscripts. Wellcome Library, 1944. WA\/CRL\/10\/7."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.40","unstructured":"Medical Research Council. Penicillin, Treatment in Venereal Disease. National Archives, 1945. FD 1\/6885."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.41","unstructured":"Memorandum from the Wellcome Research Institute. Archives and Manuscripts. Wellcome Library, 1944. WF\/TRC\/04\/49."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.42","unstructured":"Budd R . Penicillin, Triumph and Tragedy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.43","unstructured":"War against bacteria. The Times. London 1944. pg 5 col 3."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.44","unstructured":"BMA Video Collection Film. Medical Applications of Sulphonamides. Produced by National Interest Picture Productions Ltd. \u00a9 May and Baker Pharmaceuticals, 1948."},{"key":"2025092411430996000_38.1.55.45","unstructured":". The uses and limitations of penicillin. BMJ 1945. Loose items- chemotherapy. Archives and Manuscripts. Wellcome Library. PP\/FPW\/B.61."}],"container-title":["Medical Humanities"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/medhum-2011-010024","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,24]],"date-time":"2025-09-24T18:43:22Z","timestamp":1758739402000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/mh.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/medhum-2011-010024"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2011,10,3]]},"references-count":45,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,5,23]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2012,6]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/medhum-2011-010024"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/medhum-2011-010024","relation":{},"ISSN":["1468-215X","1473-4265"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1468-215X","type":"print"},{"value":"1473-4265","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2011,10,3]]}}}