From the day that Paul Ehrlich hailed his newly discovered treatment for syphilis as the 'magic bullet', antibiotics have transformed medical practice and are considered to be one of the miracle drugs of the 20th century. Stories in the press of 'flesh-eating bugs' and the emergence of drug-resistant diseases such as tuberculosis and pneumonia are becoming commonplace. In Magic Bullets, Lost Horizons Professor Amyes aims to put some of the media sensationalism into perspective.