fleming

SIR ALEXANDER FLEMING (1881-1955) Bacteriologist 20A DANVERS STREET, LONDON SW3 “A good gulp of hot whisky at bedtime - it's not very scientific, but it helps.” (Alexander Fleming when asked for a cure for colds) In 1928, Scottish born Fleming discovered penicillin, revolutionised the practice of medicine and giving hope to lazy slobs the world over. The discovery of penicillin was a complete accident that came about because Fleming’s laboratory was usually chaotic and filthy to the extent that he went away for two weeks holiday without doing the washing up, the resulting fungus that had grown on his Petri dishes contained the anti-bacterial agent that would win him the Nobel Prize. I tried the same lacklustre attitude to housework and by strange irony had to take antibiotics to clear up unfortunate infection contracted from my unclean kitchen. No Nobel Prize has so far come my way.