What was the antibiotic commonly used before the discovery of penicillin?

Alcohol,and before that,honey.

I think “sulfa” based drugs would have been considered the first antibiotics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfonamide_(medicine)

The “sulfas” came in a few years before penicillin. Before that, nothing, either overcome the infection or die. Sometimes amputation of the infected part was effective.

medical uses of silver

sulfa drugs

Scrupulous hygiene was observed in hospitals to prevent the spread of infection. Hospitals were regularly scrubbed with carbolic. Chemical antiseptics such as iodine were used to dress wounds. Surgical instruments, syringes and thermometers were boiled in water.

Sulfa drugs.