STABILITY OF PENICILLIN SOLUTIONS AT ROOM AND INCUBATOR TEMPERATURES

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Abstract
The impression that penicillin solutions deteriorate rapidly except when kept under 5 C. has arisen as a result of experiments performed with relatively crude preparations. Fleming,1 in his original paper, reported that boiling for an hour greatly reduced the potency of penicillin and that autoclaving at 115 C. for twenty minutes completely destroyed it. Fisher,2 also working with crude penicillin, noted complete loss of potency after twenty-four to forty-eight hours in the incubator or four to six days at room temperature. Aqueous solutions of the barium salt were found by Abraham and Chain3 to retain their activity at 2 C. for several months, at 25 C. for several weeks and at 37 C. for twenty-four hours. Penicillin preparations now being supplied by commercial houses are accompanied by instructions to keep the solutions in the refrigerator (under 5 C.) except when they are being administered to the patient.

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