Antibiotic resistance is not new. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928. Mass production of it was perfected by 1942, with funds from the U.S. and British governments for use in World War II. In his 1945 Nobel lecture, “Penicillin,” Dr. Fleming correctly predicted the emergence of resistance. He said, There is the danger that the ignorant man may easily underdose himself and by exposing his microbes to non lethal quantities of the drug make them resistant. Here is a hypothetical illustration. Mr. X. has a sore throat. He buys some penicillin and gives himself, not enough to kill the
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