Cephalosporin C history

Title

Cephalosporin C history

Shelfmark

MS. Abraham 109/C.1038-C.1053

Summary

C.1038-C.1041: Correspondence and papers mostly relating to the early years of the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology's research on antibiotics from the cephalosporium fungus, 1948-1949, 1952, 1961. Included is correspondence between Howard Florey and Dr. Blythe Brooke, who in 1948 was asked by Professor Giuseppe Brötzu to notify scientists in Britain of the latter's work on cultures from cephalosporium; correspondence between Florey and Brötzu; and detailed report and summary of work done by the Dunn School from December 1948-March 1949.

C.1042-C.1048: Correspondence between Abraham and various organisations and individuals covering the different stages of the research on Cephalosporin C, with related papers, 1952-1964. Correspondents include Guy Newton, the NRDC, and the Antibiotics Research Station of the Medical Research Council.

C.1049-C.1053: Papers relating to a petition by the NRDC, c. 1958-1960, to the Comptroller of Patents for him to require Dr. H.S. Burton to join other inventors in assigning the Cephalosporin N patent to the NRDC. Burton was formerly a junior colleague of Abraham who worked on Cephalosporin P and during the early research on Cephalosporin N. He subsequently claimed that his contribution to the work on Cephalosporin N should have entitled him to inclusion in patents other than Letters Patent Number 745208.

C.1049-C.1050: Contents of a file labelled 'Statement, counterstatement and evidence on behalf of Sir Howard Florey and others'. Copies of declarations, statements, etc,, with other documents used for reference, 1952-1959.

C.1051-C.1052: Contents of a file inscribed 'Evidence in reply on behalf of Sir Howard Florey and others', 1949-1960.

C.1053: Copy of 'Comptroller's Report on the application of NRDC to direct H.S. Burton to join with others in assigning the Cephalosporin N (Penicillin N) patent to NRDC', 1962; newspaper cutting relating to this application or a case closely connected with it.

Date

1948-1964

Language

English

Physical extent

16 folders