Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Royal Society of Chemistry (Great Britain)

Description

1. viii, 248 p. : ill., ports.; 25 cm.

Summary

1. "Life Saving Drugs: the Elusive Magic Bullet describes the discovery and development of antibacterial, anti-viral and anti-cancer drugs. The book highlights the colourful characters behind the inventions and the huge improvements in quality of life and life-expectancy that these drugs have produced."--Jacket.

Series statement

1. RSC paperbacks

Uniform title

1. RSC paperbacks.

Subject

1. Pharmacology > History
2. Drugs > History
3. Anti-Bacterial Agents > history
4. Antiviral Agents > history
5. Drug Therapy > history
6. Vaccines > history
7. Chemistry
8. Science

Genre/Form

1. History

Contents

1. Fighting Bacteria -- The Black Death -- Miasmata, Animalcules and Malaria -- Antiseptics -- From Dyes to Sulfonamides: The First Antibacterials -- Penicillins: Early Ideas of Antibiosis -- Penicillins: Fleming's Serendipitous Discovery -- Chain and Florey and the Penicillin Production Line -- Semi-Synthetic Penicillins and the Growing Problem of Resistance -- The Mould that Grew on Sewage: Evolution of the Cephalosporins -- The Mode of Action of the Penicillins and Cephalosporins -- The White Plague and its Treatment -- More 'Treasures' from the Streptomyces -- The Rise of the 'Superbugs' -- Antiviral Treatments -- Introduction: What is a Virus? -- Antibodies: Nature's Magic Bullets -- Smallpox -- Rabies -- Polio -- Gene Technology -- Coughs and Colds and Influenza -- Influenza: The Disease -- Influenza: The Treatments -- The Common Cold -- Herpes: Colds Sores and Chicken Pox -- Aids: History of the Disease -- Aids: Prevention and Treatment -- Haemorrhagic Fever Viruses -- Cancer: The Disease and its Treatment -- Cancer Chemotherapy -- From Poison Gas to Platinum Drugs -- Beating Leukaemia -- Other Anti-metabolites -- Periwinkles, Mayapples and Yew Trees: Anti-Cancer Drugs from Plants -- Microorganisms also Produce Anti-Tumour Agents -- Anti-Tumour Drugs from the Sea -- Turning off Hormonal Influences -- Breast Cancer -- Prostate Cancer -- Biological Warfare Against Cancer Cells -- Prevention is Better Than Cure -- Magic Bullets: Still Elusive After all These Years.

Owning institution

1. Harvard Library

Bibliography (note)

1. Includes bibliographical references (p. 233-240) and index.

Processing action (note)

1. committed to retain