6 June

Modern medicine is called a miracle. But actually its record against most acute and chronic disease is pretty hopeless. Here are the great heroes of modern medicine - sewage treatment, and chlorinated water. Penicillin introduced the false dawn of the antibiotic age, now coming to an end. When you look at the history, most disease has been about microbes. Even the diseases killing most people today are likely caused by microbes. It’s telling us something, but I don’t think we’re listening. Penicillin is produced by microbes, it comes from a fungus. A weapon from microbe wars, which we borrow.