Empty bottle with spray attachment, of compound flavazole and penicillin powder, by Boots Pure Drug Co., England, 1948-1952

The potential of penicillin as an antibiotic to treat a wide range of bacterial infections was discovered in the early 1940s. Many infections such as blood poisoning could now be treated successfully for the first time. This spray bottle combining a new antiseptic, flavazole, with penicillin was made by Boots Pure Drug Co (part of Boots the Chemist). The mixture was used to prevent infection of, for instance, surgical wounds in dentistry.