ised ▁that ▁the ▁most ▁effective ▁vessel ▁for ▁this ▁purpose ▁was ▁something ▁like ▁the ▁por cel ain ▁bed p ans ▁in ▁use ▁at ▁the ▁Rad cl iffe ▁Inf irm ary . ▁These ▁were ▁in ▁short ▁supply ▁because ▁the ▁on going ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁so ▁He at ley ▁designed ▁a ▁modified ▁version ▁which ▁was ▁manufact ured ▁in ▁the ▁Pot ter ies . ▁With ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁these , ▁the ▁Oxford ▁labor atory ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁pen ic ill in ▁factory , ▁and ▁subsequent ▁tests ▁on ▁humans ▁proved ▁the ▁effic acy ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁treatment . ▁Even ▁so , ▁it ▁was ▁very ▁difficult ▁to ▁produce ▁enough ▁for ▁sust ained ▁treatment . ▁ ▁Tri als ▁on ▁humans ▁In ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁a ▁ 4 3 - year - old ▁police ▁const able , ▁Albert ▁Alexander , ▁was ▁accident ally ▁scratch ed ▁by ▁a ▁rose ▁th orn ▁on ▁his ▁mouth , ▁and ▁was ▁succ umb ing ▁to ▁sept ica emia . ▁Alexander ▁was ▁admitted ▁to ▁the ▁Rad cl iffe ▁Inf irm ary , ▁where ▁various ▁conventional ▁treat ments ▁all ▁failed , ▁and ▁his ▁case ▁was ▁brought ▁to ▁Fl ore y ▁and ▁He at ley ' s ▁attention . ▁Having ▁previously ▁tried ▁pen ic ill in ▁only ▁on ▁m ice , ▁He at ley ▁was ▁concerned ▁about ▁the ▁side ▁effects ▁large ▁dos es ▁of ▁pen ic ill in ▁might ▁have . ▁A ▁patient ▁in ▁a ▁terminal ▁condition ▁with ▁nothing ▁to ▁lose ▁was ▁needed ▁as ▁a ▁human ▁volunte er , ▁and ▁Const able ▁Alexander ▁met