History of BiologyAn Essay on Patent Medicines Containing SulphonamideThe first antibiotics ever discovered were sulfonamides which contained chemicals called sulfonamides and worked at the molecular level. They were first used in the 1930s, sparking an astonishing revolution in medicine (NIH, 2012). These drugs practically treated a range of life-threatening bacterial infections, such as streptococcal infections (including scarlet fever, erysipelas, and puerperal septicemia), pneumonia, and meningitis. In the mid-1930s (especially in 1936), pneumonia was incredibly deadly, accounting for approximately 8% of total deaths (Jayachandran, 2008). Following their discovery, there was a huge increase in the production and sales of these drugs, with over 10 to 15 million people treated with these drugs in 1940 alone (Hecht, 1984). The drug gained a cult following among people and was called "the miracle of miracles." He saved millions of lives, from Winston Churchill to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's son (Hager, 2006). As most bacteria do over time, resistance to sulfonamides developed to replace them with penicillin. However, sulfonamides are still used to treat various bacterial infections. They work by binding and inhibiting a specific enzyme called dihydropteroate synthase (DHPS), which is crucial for the synthesis of folate, an essential nutrient (NIH, 2012). Despite their miracles, patented sulfa drugs have also had their drawbacks. James Stephenson, a rural Oklahoma doctor, noticed an alarming rate of deaths in his area in 1937. The suspected culprits for these deaths ranged from kidney failure to poisoning. After reading an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association which highlighted... .... middle of paper ......n of a drug if it is deemed harmful to health Massengill finally denied all claims of certain error that the toxic agent was diethylene glycol (Hager, 2006). Literature Cited Hager, Thomas. (2006). The demon under the microscope: from battlefield hospitals to Nazi laboratories, one doctor's heroic search for the world's first miracle drug. New York: Trois-Rivières Press. 209-35. Print.Hecht. Annabel. (1984). “Sulfa; Yesterday's hero is still bowing out. Consumer FDAJayachandran, S. et. (2008). Modern medicine and the decline in mortality in the 20th century: new evidence on the impact of sulfonamides. California Center for Demographic Research. UCLA: California Center for Demographic Research. Retrieved from: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7vh9m2q8National Institutes for Health. (2012). How sulfa drugs work. Retrieved from http://www.nih.gov/