How Dirty Dishes And Stale Bread Saved The World

By:Doug Smith

Home Remedies - Facts or Quacks?

That's what I recently asked myself. Myths and legends are often based on ancient truths. So I wondered if home remedies, alternative treatments, and folklore cures might also be based on some past grain of truth. Here's what I found.

He Was No Martha Stewart

In fact, Alexander Fleming had no housekeeping skills whatsoever. During the early 1900s, Petri dishes, beakers, and test tubes were piled around his lab like dirty dishes in a bachelor's sink. That may be appropriate, because he was studying the growth of bacteria and molds. I'm sure he had no trouble getting either of those to grow in his lab. I'm not sure how he kept his experiments separate.

Cashing In On Some Bread

Fortunately, there was at least one experiment that got contaminated. He discovered that a mold growth called Penicillium (because the cells are pencil-shaped) had killed the bacteria he was culturing in one of his test dishes. The Penicillium mold is often found on bread. He was able to isolate the chemicals in the mold which killed the bacteria, which are now known as penicillins.

A Miracle Cure Is Born

The antibiotic effects of penicillin, and its cousin cephalosporin, proved to be a great aid to the medical community in fighting bacterial illnesses and diseases. Over the years these molecules have been enhanced to help them fight bacteria which had become resistant. Penicillin is still saving lives today, simply because Al Fleming was a slob. Thankfully, he was smart enough to notice his mistake and understand what it meant.

Eating moldy bread isn't going to cure your illness. Instead, you might need a shot of penicillin to fight the effects of your ill-advised snack! In this case, however, this home remedy discovery is definitely a fact.

You can find more free home remedies through the resources below. They are not the medical marvels described in this article, but they can save you medical costs and maybe some embarrassment.

Digg del.icio.us Blink Stumble Spurl Reddit Netscape Furl

Article keywords: home, remedy, remedies, alternative, medicine, cure, penicillin, moldy, bread

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Discover secret home remedies at www.SuperHomeRemedies.com that show you how to use mayonnaise, duct tape, yogurt, banana peels, cola, mouthwash, peroxide, thread and other common ingredients to cure common but embarrassing conditions.

Top Medicine Articles
1). Follow These Feng Shui Tips And Sleep Better By : Jakob Jelling If you are having problems at the time of falling asleep or you simply wish to improve your sleeping, you should follow the feng shui tips we will
2). Issues Raised by the Surgical Treatment for Inguinal Hernia By : Groshan Fabiola Inguinal hernia is a common type of hernia that occurs in the region of the groin. The disorder usually generates mild, unspecific symptoms, which can be misleading in establishing the correct diagnosis. Most people with inguinal hernia may actually have no symptoms at all, thus rendering the process of diagnosing the disorder even more difficult. The only reliable means of diagnosing inguinal hernia involve MRI scans (magnetic resonance imaging), X-ray scans, computerized tomography and laparoscopy.
3). The History Of Cialis By : Samuel Gurgis Cialis is a prescription drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED). Cialis is the brand name of the drug tadalafil. This medication is known technically as a "reversible phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor". PDE5 inhibitors increase blood flow to the genitals. More information on how Cialis works is available here. Cialis functions the same way as other PDE5 inhibitors in the treatment of ED.
4). Will the Chimigen™ Vaccine Stop Bird Flu, Anthrax and Hepatitis? By : James E. Finch Interviewer: Can you describe ViRexx Medical’s Chimigen™ therapeutic vaccine? Dr. Rajan George: Chimigen therapeutic vaccine is used to produce immune responses in a host against infections which are difficult to produce immune responses, by targeting the vaccine to dendritic cells. The Chimigen platform can be extended to develop therapies for difficult-to-treat chronic infectious diseases.
5). Miracle Glue And Wound Closure! By : Martin Jones Have you ever heard of gluing a cut together? The first time I heard about this I was somewhat shocked. I was selling a product called Miracle Glue at trade shows. I had people telling all the outrageous stories possible about the origins of cyanoacrylates (superglue) - Miracle Glue is in the same category. The prevailing story was that superglue had been invented in the Vietnam era for soldiers.
6). Risk Factors of Pneumonia By : Groshan Fabiola Pneumonia is inflammation and infection of the lungs, causing difficulty breathing, cough and chest pain. Pneumonia can either affect one or both lungs and there are various forms of the disease. The most common causes of pneumonia are: pulmonary infection with viruses (influenza, herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial.
7). Emergency Inguinal Hernia Surgery vs. Elective Inguinal Hernia Surgery By : Groshan Fabiola Inguinal hernia is a very common disorder, affecting millions of people in the United States alone. Considered to be a surgical disease, inguinal hernia accounts for thousands of annual operations worldwide. Although inguinal hernia can occur in both sexes, the disorder predominantly affects men. Also, this type of hernia has the highest incidence in the elderly, people who frequently sustain physical effort and smokers.
8). Effective Alternatives for Antibiotics in the Treatment of Strep Throat By : Groshan Fabiola Strep throat is an illness that commonly accompanies flu or cold. Although it commonly affects children, strep throat can occur at any age. Unlike sore throat, an ailment caused by infection with viral agents, strep throat is caused by infection with group A streptococcus bacteria. These bacteria are very contagious and they can be easily acquired by entering in contact with infected people.
9). New Types of Antibiotics in the Treatment of Strep Throat By : Groshan Fabiola Strep throat is inflammation and swelling of the throat, tonsils and lymph nodes due to infection with group A streptococcus bacteria. Strep throat is very contagious and the bacteria responsible for causing the illness can be easily acquired by entering in contact with contaminated people. Streptococcus bacteria are airborne and they can be transmitted through droplets of mucus produced by cough or sneezing.
10). Coping With Psoriasis & The Psychological Effects By : Jason Herbert The first steps of coming to terms with this skin condition is to speak to a professional that understands.

New Medicine Articles
1). Online Pharmacies Offer Convenience and Privacy By : Michael Connelly This is a story about an embarrassing moment the author experienced at his neighborhood pharmacy while ordering Viagra. It was a painful experience that the author contends could have been avoided if he had ordered his prescription at an online pharmacy.
2). Using Methadone To Reduce The Withdrawal Symptoms In Heroin Addicts By : Heather Colman As a narcotic analgesic, Methadone is a synthetic pain reliever used to treat various conditions and relieve pain, as well as treating the addiction of heroin in users.
3). Understanding The Risks Of Taking Zocor By : Heather Colman Zocor is a medication used to block the production of bad cholesterol and chemicals found in the body that helps produce harmful cholesterol.
4). Using Toprol To Fight High Blood Pressure By : Heather Colman Blood pressure, which is a silent killer, is matter of concern and there are several drugs available, which can be used to combat blood pressure. One such drug is Toprol.
5). The Effectiveness of Using Herbal Remedies To Treat Acne By : Ben Tiew Acne is not caused by dirt, though careful attention to hygiene helps to keep inflammation at bay. A trial done in Singapore a few years ago points to acne being caused by the failure of the body to break down and metabolize oil in the body.
6). How To Reduce Foot Pain By : Dave Wilson Metatarsal stress fractures or a bone spur can cause pain at the top of the foot. A bone spur is an enlarged bone that looks like a bump on top of the foot. The bone spur is likely the result of too much pressure or too tight shoes. The most common remedy for bone spurs involves wearing a larger size shoe and not tying shoelaces quite so tight so that you take some of the pressure off the bone.
7). Curing Foot Arch Pain By : Dave Wilson Are you one of those people who are said to be flat footed? Having a flat foot is a condition where the foot does not have a normal arch. You may find it affects just one or both feet. The arch is the gap between the inner side of the foot and the ground when standing up. There are many people who have very low arches and some who have no arches and are termed flat-footed.
8). How To Relive Foot Pain By : Dave Wilson What causes foot pain? There are many factors that contribute to foot pain • Wearing shoes that do not fit properly — causing calluses and bunions • Obesity or being overweight increases chances of foot problems or injuries. A great tip when buying shoes — buy them in the afternoon when feet are at their largest due to swelling. If you wear heels, no more than one inch is best.
9). Passion rejuvenated with Cialis By : Paul Cris Heads down for the first time I was alone, wondering, what it takes to have sex the next time; it would take more than what I had done till then, my efforts at a satisfactory intercourse was failing miserably at each juncture; and with each women, I found that I was getting lazier once the process started. Maybe, I thought, my work was creeping into my head or maybe, insomnia was biting the flesh out of me.
10). How A First Aid Kit Saved My Life By : Ken Donald A couple of years back I went on a mountain trip, alone. I had walked the same path before as I intended that beautiful morning in May. I parked my car on the parking lot and put on my gear. This particular path was one of the more difficult ones, and I did not meet anyone else out there in the wilderness. After a two hour walk uphill I arrived at a cave entrance that I had passed several times in the past, but never had stopped and entered.