In Vivo (a novel)

The plot of In Vivo, a novel by Mildred Savage, revolves around the search for the first broad-spectrum antibiotic, during a time (the late 1940’s) when the idea of such a substance is new and controversial.

The problem of systematizing the search for effective antibiotics involved dealing with many difficult questions:  where do we look for such substances in nature (synthetics don’t exist yet); is it worthwhile to even look (penicillin is widely held to be a unique and unrepeatable find); assuming you find one, is it effective against human diseases; which spectrum of diseases (gram negative vs. gram positive); is it potent; is it toxic to man; is it non-toxic at therapeutic levels; what dose cures, harms, damages or kills the human host (concretizing the importance of animal testing); if it works, how do you coax the organism to produce enough of it (the problem of production in quantity)?

All of these issues and more frame the fascinating and intricate plot structure of In Vivo: the mind’s search for the world’s first broad-spectrum antibiotic; and its theme: the integrity of the individual mind as the driving force of productive human collaboration.   

The central character, Tom Cable, is a scientist working for a small pharmaceutical company. Against at times overwhelming opposition on both a professional and personal level, Cable must first convince his company’s management to risk the profits from a successful line of products on an unproven idea; then create a systematic approach to finding and testing potential antibiotics; and finally fight for his idea in the face of difficult practical obstacles and repeated failure, against a rising tide of doubt, hostility and sabotage. 

It’s a great story. In terms of his characterization, Tom Cable is the closest thing to a Howard Roark-style hero I’ve found outside the universe of Miss Rand’s creations. I’ve often wondered if Mildred Savage was influenced by The Fountainhead; the similarities are that striking.

In Vivo is out of print (it was published in 1964 by Simon & Schuster), so the second-hand market is where you’ll have to look to find a copy.  I do encourage you to persist in the search – I love this book, and I think you will too!