F.H. Faulding & Co.
[Photographs and other items relating to the early production of penicillin

MSS 615.329 F216p

Biographical

F. H. Faulding & Co is an Adelaide based pharmaceutical company founded on 19 May 1845 by Francis Hardey Faulding (23 August 1816 – 19 November 1868). Francis originally started the company when he opened a Rundle Street based retail pharmacy, co-owning the business with Luther Scammell. After Faulding's death in 1868, Scammell took full ownership of the business, developing a chain of pharmacies, along with a warehouse on King William Street. He later diversified into winemaking in 1876.

In 1888 Scamell's sons, William and Luther Robert acquired the business, selling the retail based outlets and turning more towards pharmaceutical development and production. The business was incredibly successful, developing the industry standard test for determining the eucalyptol content of eucalyptus which was included in the British Pharmacopoeia in 1893. They later went on to develop 'Barrier Cream' in 1941, designed to counter dermatitis in armament factories. In 1921 they became a private company.

In 1944, the company worked with Howard Florey to develop penicillin, which was produced at their bacteriological laboratory at Thebarton.

After World War II FH Faulding & Co extended both their product ranges and wholesale activities before becoming a public company 1947.

Contents

• 17 photographs, 14 mounted on card. Available online from our Digital Archive
  

  1.       The incubating room where penicillin mould grows and produces penicillin
  2.       A section of the bacteriological laboratory
  3.       Filling ampoules with penicillin
  4.       Packing penicillin in a sterile cabinet
  5.       View of the sterile filling rooms and cabinets
  6.       Sir Earle Page, Federal Minister for Health inspects the sterile filling area
  7.       The biological laboratory where rabbits were used to test for pyrogens
  8.       Section of the bacteriological control laboratory
  9.       The extraction plant for removing penicillin from the liquid
  10.   Inspecting disposable syringes after filling with penicillin injection
  11.   The improved freeze-drier used in later production
  12.   The first freeze-drier used to concentrate the penicillin solution
  13.   Inoculating the sterile media with penicillin spores
  14.   One of the autoclaves for sterilizing the media
  15.   Penicillin being bred for clinical application in ceramic pots at Oxford. Early 1941
  16.   Ceramic pots
  17.   Sir Howard Florey

• 1 ampule of dried calcium penicillin produced by F.H. Faulding & Co. 28/10/1946.  
• 1 ceramic vessel (Presented to the University by Sir Mark Oliphant. The vessel was used by Florey to produce penicillin at Oxford in early 1941) (35cm x 22.5cm x 6.5cm)
• 1 oval quart (glass bottle) Same of the bottle originally used to manufacture Penicillin in South Australia. Lord Florey advised F.H. Faulding & Co. to change to the type F. 1211 jar, during a visit on October, 1944 (27cm x 11cm x 7cm)