DIY Penicillin: How Common Household Items Could Save Your Life in a Crisis

Neil 'Liberty' Radimaker

September 21, 2024

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional before attempting any alternative treatments.

It’s important to know alternative ways to care for yourself and those around you in times when modern medical care might not be accessible. This guide on how to create homemade penicillin is especially relevant for those living in poverty or with limited resources. Amazingly, two common household items—bread and oranges—can help you produce penicillin by letting them naturally mold.

The mold that forms on aged bread is called Penicillium, the same type of mold from which penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic, is derived.

Imagine This Scenario:

You’re caught in an emergency situation, such as a natural disaster or even a post-apocalyptic event, with no access to medical supplies. Your partner suffers a severe injury, and as the days pass, they begin to show signs of infection. Left untreated, an infection can result in serious complications, such as loss of limb or even death. Would you know what to do? In a pinch, making your own penicillin might be a solution.

Here’s a simple, budget-friendly method to potentially save a life.

How to Create Homemade Penicillin (Step-by-Step Process):

1. Gather Your Materials:

• A few slices of bread

• A container or resealable plastic bag

• Water (for light misting)

• Orange peels (optional but helps accelerate the mold growth)

• Sterile gloves (for handling the mold safely)

2. Place the Bread in a Container:

Take a few slices of bread and place them in a container or resealable plastic bag. Try to avoid too much direct sunlight, as it may dry out the bread too quickly. You want the bread to stay moist, as this helps foster mold growth.

3. Mist Lightly with Water:

To encourage mold growth, lightly mist the bread with water. The moisture will speed up the process by creating the ideal environment for mold to grow. If you have orange peels available, you can add them to the container for additional moisture and to diversify the types of mold that may grow, though Penicillium tends to prefer bread.

4. Wait for the Mold to Form:

Now, leave the bread in the sealed container or bag for a few days. Check periodically until you see mold starting to grow. It will initially be white or blue, but eventually, it will develop green spots. These green spots indicate the growth of Penicillium mold, which contains the active ingredient you need for penicillin.

5. Monitor the Mold Carefully:

The key is to monitor the mold carefully. Once the majority of the mold has turned green, you can begin using it. Avoid using bread with black mold, as this can produce harmful toxins. Safety Tip: Always handle the mold with sterile gloves to avoid contamination or exposure to harmful molds.

Using Homemade Penicillin:

Once the mold has matured to a green color, there are two primary ways to apply it.

Option A: Oral Consumption

This method involves consuming the bread with mold directly. It’s a crude way to deliver penicillin, but in a desperate situation, it might help.

• Break the moldy bread into small pieces.

• Add warm water (not boiling) and mix the pieces into a paste-like consistency.

• Consume the mixture.

Repeat this process daily to deliver doses of penicillin.

Note: This method also introduces other bacteria or fungi, which could cause an upset stomach or diarrhea. However, in a survival situation, the risks of an untreated infection far outweigh these side effects.

Option B: Topical Application

For external wounds, this method may be more effective and safer.

• Carefully scrape the green mold off the bread, avoiding the white and black mold sections.

• Clean the wound thoroughly with clean water or any available disinfectant.

• Apply the green mold directly to the infection.

• Lightly dress the wound with clean bandages.

Repeat the process daily. Safety Tip: Always monitor the wound closely for improvement. If the wound does not improve, avoid continued use, as the infection could worsen.

Additional Safety Considerations:

While this process can potentially create penicillin, it’s crucial to understand the risks. You’re not only growing Penicillium mold but also other molds and bacteria. You must carefully separate the harmful from the beneficial, which can be challenging without proper tools. Use sterile gloves, maintain a clean environment, and monitor both your health and the progress of any wound or infection being treated.

Risks of Using Mold-Based Remedies:

• Allergic Reactions: Some individuals may be allergic to penicillin, which could cause serious reactions. Only use this method if you’re certain there are no allergies.

• Contamination: The bread could harbor other harmful molds, which are difficult to distinguish from Penicillium without a microscope. Ingesting or applying harmful mold can lead to severe illness.

• Incomplete Penicillin Production: This DIY method is a rough approximation of the actual penicillin production process. It won’t produce pharmaceutical-grade penicillin, which can lead to inconsistent results.

Bonus Tip: Use of Honey for Wound Care

In ancient Egypt, honey was applied to wounds to prevent infection. Honey acts as a barrier, making it difficult for bacteria to grow. Even today, medical-grade honey bandages are used in hospitals. At home, you can cover a clean wound with honey and wrap it to protect against harmful bacteria.

Advanced Techniques

For those with access to more resources and time, there are more advanced ways to produce penicillin using a similar process involving bread and oranges. These involve precise control of temperature, humidity, and sterilization, which will help ensure higher-quality penicillin production. You can also research ways to extract and purify the penicillin more effectively, but these processes may be impractical in an emergency situation.

Though penicillin is readily available today in modern healthcare, knowing how to create a homemade version can be invaluable in a crisis. In the event of societal collapse or a medical emergency where supplies are scarce, this knowledge could be a literal lifesaver.

For those interested in more advanced penicillin production methods, I recommend doing further research.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a healthcare professional before attempting any alternative treatments.