Prehistoric Medicine: How Archaic Humans Cured Themselves

Before there was penicillin, there were still antibiotics. Even some animals have been known to treat themselves.

The Crux
By Bridget Alex
May 10, 2019 11:14 PMMar 21, 2020 12:13 AM
THE Penicillin Plate - Alexander Fleming
A culture plate from Fleming's experiments seeded with infectious bacteria and with penicillin placed on the lower half. (Credit: Alexander Fleming/The British Journal of Experimental Pathology)

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Long before Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, people were using antibiotics to combat infections. In the late 1800s, French physician Ernest Duchesne observed Arab stable boys treating sores with mold growing on saddles. Duchesne took a sample of the fungus, identified it as Penicillium and used it to cure guinea pigs infected with typhoid.

Earlier still, texts from ancient civilizations, including Rome, Egypt and China, discussed the healing powers of moldy bread applied to diseased skin. And prior to written history, there’s reason to believe human ancestors took advantage of many medicinal fungi, plants and other natural agents. The use of natural remedies probably extends back millions of years — long before modern scientists understood the biochemical basis of these medicines.

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