Indeed , during the early penicillin era , the drug was so scarce and so highly valued that it became common to collect the urine from patients being treated .
The penicillin in the urine could be isolated and reused .
Indeed , during the early penicillin era , the drug was so scarce and so highly valued that it became common to collect the urine from patients being treated , so that the penicillin in the urine could be isolated and reused .