Question

Chlortetracycline was the first tetracycline discovered and was first introduced for clinical use in the year:

• A. 1945
• B. 1946
• C. 1947
• D. 1948

Hint:

In history-of-medicine questions, differentiate between the year of "discovery" (1945 for Chlortetracycline) and the year of "introduction for clinical use" (1948).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Tetracyclines are a family of broad-spectrum antibiotics discovered as natural products of *Streptomyces* soil bacteria in the mid-20th century.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us trace the timeline of Chlortetracycline:
- Chlortetracycline (originally trade-named Aureomycin due to its golden-yellow color) was discovered in 1945 by Benjamin Minge Duggar, a 73-year-old retired botany professor working at Lederle Laboratories.
- It was isolated from the actinomycete bacterium *Streptomyces aureofaciens*.
- After extensive testing, safety clearance, and scale-up, it was officially introduced into clinical use in the year 1948.
- This marked the beginning of the broad-spectrum tetracycline antibiotic era.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Thus, the year of introduction for clinical use was 1948.