antibiotics is only effective against bacterial infection... it works by dissolvin cell membrane of the bacteria and hence cause it to lyse... hence treatin the infectious diseases.......
abt the historical development, tis like:
- early 19th century, cause unknown, but antimalarial property of cinchona is observed.....
-1880, charles laveran observed the malarial parasite.....
- late 19th century, ronald ross discoveried mosquito as a vector for malaria...
- 1898, ronald ross described life cycle of malaria
- early 20th century, chemical structure of guinine discovered, drugs are manufactured in large proportion
- 1940, patients with sickle cell rbc anaemia are found to be resistant to malaria (dunno y is this important and "historical tho")
- now, researchin in progress, as bacteria start to develop resistance to known drugs.....