One day he actually accepted an offer from a biochemical company to look into a cure for different diseases. He worked many years to find an antibiotic that would work against bacterial infections. The company he worked for started to lose faith in him and started to pull money from his research facility because they could not see any progress. No matter the amount of begging he did to keep his funding he could not. Even though he showed scientific evidence that showed progress, the business people that ran the company did not understand the evidence and saw no progress for themselves.
Eventually he asked a member of the board of the company for a few more thousand dollars because he was so close. This member he asked favored the young scientist so he funded him the money. A month later he discovered a drug that would cure almost all bacteria. The drug would come to be known as penicillin. Just to make sure the drug was healthy for people in the long run he ran many test on animals for short and long term effects. He would not release the drug to the company because he did not know the long terms of its effects yet.
Sadly the testing took so long that another scientist that goes by the name of Alexander Fleming discovered the drug because he had worked with Jim until the company cut the funding and he had to leave. Alexander knew how to find and isolate the drug so he did it right after Jim. Alexander didn't care about the effects of the drug in the long run. He only saw the short term effects of healing any bacterial infection and published his finding immediately.
This lead to the finding being credited to Fleming. Later Jim realized that the long term effects of using penicillin would whatever bacteria being treated to create a mutation against the penicillin and to grow stronger and healthier than before. By the time Jim realized this he tried to tell everyone but no one would listen to him because he was looked at as the looser of the antibacterial race.
Author's Note
This story is based off the story "Clever Elsie". I chose to write this story because I am familiar with this field of study and the discovery of penicillin. I chose to write this story about the careful guy losing and the guy in it for the money winning because that is how society is today. There wasn't actually a guy named Jim but Alexander Fleming did discover penicillin.
Bibliography
"Clever Elsie" by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, from Brothers Grimm (1812). Web Source: UNtextbook
Hi Tylor!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story! I like how you took this story and made it about science. I do a lot of psychology research and I understand how difficult it is to get results that back up your research, but are not significant. I also find Fleming to be in a hugggge violation if he did that these days (maybe back then too?) I find myself feeling bad for the guy who supposedly discovered penicillin(in your story). It would suck to have someone claim your life's work as their own!!! Great job and hang in there! The semester is almost over!!!
Hi Tylor!
ReplyDeleteI’m glad that Jim was trying to make sure his findings wouldn’t hurt humankind! You made the Grimm’s story so relevant in today’s society where products are mishandled and constantly recalled. We need more people like Jim in the corrupt business world. I think you did a great job of modernizing your story. Fantastic story and Happy Thanksgiving!
Tylor!
ReplyDeleteI liked this story a lot! I like to read things about the body and medicine. It's unfortunate for Jim. Poor guy. I did like that you used the real discoverer of Penicillin. At first I was unsure of where your story was going to go but I kept going and liked it! Good job!!!
A very interesting story! I am a little upset that I did not have more time to read more of your stories. I enjoy your work and your style of writing. I think you did a good job of retelling this story. Especially since you have some background and knowledge on the subject. I think it makes it so much easier to write when you are interested in the subject. Nice work!
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