Add MS 56152

FLEMING PAPERS. Vol. XLVII. 25 July 1918-18 Jan. 1921, with later additions [1932].

ff. ii + 107. 374 x 244mm. Notebook ‘124’ with hard cream cover and red binding. This is most likely an army notebook but this has been covered up using black ink, it also seems as though there was a label on the notebook but this has also been covered up using black ink.

Fleming has gone back in 1920 and 1932 and updated the details about certain experiments and samples. He has noted any changes red pencil.

Notebook includes:

Section one:

ff. 2-17. The greater part of this section has been crossed through with orange coloured pencil. The work is varied although there does seem to be a continuation of Fleming’s work on war wounds, for example similar numbers and names appear in this notebook that could relate to work in 56151. There are no clear sections of work devoted to particular topics and dates are lacking.

Work consists of:

i) Creation and testing of vaccinations

ii) Experiments with rabbits

iii) First dressings

iv) Blood transfusions

v) Experiments using meat and blood cultures

vi) Examining the bacteriology of samples from new patients

vii) Experiments with variety of plugs for wounds

Section two: 17 Nov.-3 Dec. 1918.

ff. 17v-21, 23-26. Flu

(Some of this work has been crossed through with orange pencil)

i) Effect of agglutination

ii) Effect of temperature

iii) Tests with rabbits

Section three: 6 March-11^{Aug. 1918.}

ff. 34-38. Entitled ‘Clems notes’, could be notes of F. J. Clemenger. Notes relate to a variety of experiments using rabbits.

Section four: n.d.

ff. 52v, 55-63. Isolation of streptococcus

This has been achieved by using a number of patients with a variety of complaints. A sample of faeces is usually planted on a McConkey plate and the streptococcus colonies picked out and replanted in boiled blood agar and broth. This information was then put into a table which includes a description of the bacteria, its reaction in broth, reaction to sugars and sometimes its morphology.

i) Hesser: anaemia, lassitude, pains in abdomen, appendix removed but no better, pyorrhoea

ii) Gordon: stone in kidney, gallstones, rheumatism

iii) Bennet: lienteric diarrhoea, rapid pulse, no fever, very ill

iv) Lambert: goitre (enlargement thyroid gland), repeated again

later

v) Bulloms: OP, neuritis, bilateral plexus

vi) Pegram: asthma and acne. On 11 Nov. more work was carried out relating to Pegram, including retesting her faces

vii) Howes: pensions, rheumatism and pyorrhoea

viii) Somerville: vague intestinal disturbances

ix) Gorringe: rheumatoid arthritis (subacute), joints swollen, fever

x) Richardson: rheumatism and pyorrhoea

Section five: n.d.

ff. 83v-97v. Patient Samples

Once Fleming had isolated which particular bacteria he wanted he used them in a variety of experiments:

i) Hirsch: no description of complaint

ii) Morris: no description of complaint

iii) Price: slight pyorrhoea

iv) Ney: rheumatoid arthritis

v) Belmont: colitis

vi) Gallagher: pyorrhoea

vii) A. Fleming: culture from between gum and tooth, slight

pyorrhoea

viii) Rowell: arthritis

ix) Alston: rheumatoid arthritis, wrists and fingers swollen; 6 Dec. 1919.

x) Laing: urticania

xi) Lambert: goitre

xii) James: intestinal toxanaemia

ff. 92v-93. Table with a long list of samples taken from previous patients for example, Morris, Price, Hirsch, Hey, Belmont, Fry, Pegram and Whitcombe.

Section six: n.d.

ff. 102v-103. Notes from an article by Kilger from Journal of [Scientific Discovery?], 16 1915, p.333. It seems to be a list of sources of bacteria.

Links with other notebooks:

56150 and 56151: Work with patients with war wounds

includes:

• ff. 2-17 Scientific method: Clinical charts of A. Fleming's patients: n.d.
• ff. 2-17 Scientific method: Notes by A. Fleming on patients with wounds, collated during World War One whilst working at a hospital housed in a casino in Boulogne, some entries have charts, diagrams and x-rays: 1917-1918.
• ff. 17v-21, 23-26 Pathology infectious diseases: Notes and experiments by A. Fleming rel. to influenza and parainfluenza: 1918-1931, n.d.
• ff. 34-38 Francis S. Clemenger, assistant in the Inoculation Department, St. Mary's Hospital: Notes on experiments using rabbits, 6 March-11 August: 1918.
• ff. 52v, 55-63 Bacteriology: Notes and experiments by A. Fleming rel. to the isolation of streptococcus using samples taken from patients: n.d.
• ff. 83v-97v Scientific method: Samples of bacteria from patients used by A. Fleming for experiments: n.d.