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Did Joseph Lister believe in God?
Created a baronet in 1883, he was made Baron Lister of Lyme Regis in 1897 and appointed one of the 12 original members of the Order of Merit in 1902. He was a gentle, shy, unassuming man, firm in his purpose because he humbly believed himself to be directed by God.
What did Joseph Lister invent?
Antisepsis is the method of using chemicals, called antiseptics, to destroy the germs that cause infections. It was developed by the British surgeon Joseph Lister. Joseph Lister, 1827–1912. Joseph Lister found a way to prevent infection in wounds during and after surgery.
Who was Joseph Lister and why was he so important?
Joseph Lister revolutionized surgery in the late 19 th century by introducing antiseptic methods that drastically reduced the incidence of infection and death, dramatically improving patient health while enabling surgical knowledge and approaches to advance rapidly.
Did Joseph Lister get married?
Marriage in 1856 Joseph Lister, 29, surgeon, married Agnes Syme on 23 April 1856 at Millbank House.
Who discovered germs?
Louis Pasteur Discovers Germ Theory, 1861 During his experiments in the 1860s, French chemist Louis Pasteur developed modern germ theory. He proved that food spoiled because of contamination by invisible bacteria, not because of spontaneous generation. Pasteur stipulated that bacteria caused infection and disease.
Who is father of plastic surgery?
Sushruta is considered the "Father of Plastic Surgery." He lived in India sometime between 1000 and 800 BC, and is responsible for the advancement of medicine in ancient India.
Is carbolic acid still used today?
Since 1945, concentrated forms of carbolic acid have become prominent in the permanent treatment of ingrown toe and fingernails–in fact, over the last few decades carbolic acid has been the chemical of choice for podiatrists.
Who is the father of sterilization?
Joseph Lister, the Man who Sterilized Surgery.
What was Joseph Lister's nickname?
father of modern surgeryLister's work led to a reduction in post-operative infections and made surgery safer for patients, distinguishing him as the "father of modern surgery".
Where is Joseph Lister buried?
Hampstead Cemetery, London, United KingdomJoseph Lister / Place of burialHampstead Cemetery is a historic cemetery in West Hampstead, London, located at the upper extremity of the NW6 district. Despite the name, the cemetery is three-quarters of a mile from Hampstead Village, and bears a different postcode. Wikipedia
What was the first antiseptic?
carbolic acidThis began to change in 1867, when Joseph Lister discovered that carbolic spray was very effective in stopping wounds from getting gangrene. He developed antiseptic surgery by spraying medical instruments, catgut and bandages with a 1-in-20 solution of carbolic acid. As always there was some opposition.
When was carbolic acid first used?
In 1866, Bottini published his experience of 600 cases where it was used. In 1865, Lister began to use carbolic acid in open fractures after Thomas Anderson, his colleague in agricultural chemistry at the University of Glasgow, told him about its use in Carlisle sewage works.
How did Joseph Lister make his discovery?
Lister began experimenting with chemicals to clean patients' wounds. Cleaning wounds and surgical instruments with antiseptic made the survival rate higher. Lister published his discovery and began persuading others to use the same methods. Joseph Lister died in England on 10 February 1912 aged 87.
Who invented sterilization?
Joseph Lister, the Man who Sterilized Surgery.
Who invented disinfectants?
Frenchman Louis PasteurIn 1862, the Frenchman Louis Pasteur proved that bacteria can only evolve from existing bacterial cells and not from inanimate matter. The chemist developed and pioneered the procedures of disinfection, sterilisation and pasteurisation.
When was antiseptic invented?
The widespread introduction of antiseptic surgical methods was initiated by the publishing of the paper Antiseptic Principle of the Practice of Surgery in 1867 by Joseph Lister, which was inspired by Louis Pasteur's germ theory of putrefaction.
Where was Joseph Lister born?
Lister was born to a prosperous Quaker family in the village of Upton, West Ham, Essex, then near but now in London, England. He was the second son of six siblings to gentleman scientist and port wine merchant Joseph Jackson Lister who was in partnership with Thomas Barton Beck, of Tokenhouse Yard, the grandfather of Marcus Beck. Lister's mother was Isabella, youngest daughter of master mariner Anthony Harris. Before she was married, Isabella worked at the Ackworth School, a Quaker school for the poor, assisting her widowed mother who was the superintendent of the school.
How did Baroness Lister die?
In 1893, four days into their spring holiday in Rapallo, Italy, Agnes, Baroness Lister, died from acute pneumonia. While still responsible for the wards at Kings College Hospital, his private practice ceased along with an appetite for experimental work. Social gatherings were severely curtailed. Studying and writing lost appeal for him and he sank into religious melancholy. On 31 July 1895, Lister retired from Kings College Hospital. Lister was presented with a portrait painted by Scottish artist John Henry Lorimer, in a small presentation, held in recognition of the affection and esteem that felt by his colleagues.
Why was Lister's use of carbolic acid problematic?
Lister's use of carbolic acid proved problematic, and he eventually repudiated it for superior methods. The spray irritated eyes and respiratory tracts, and the soaked bandages were suspected of damaging tissue, so his teachings and methods were not always adopted in their entirety. Because his ideas were based on germ theory, which was in its infancy, their adoption was slow. General criticism of his methods was exacerbated by the fact that he found it hard to express himself adequately in writing, so they seemed complicated, unorganised, and impractical.
When was Lister's antiseptic surgery first published?
1855 (Lister is in the front row with his hands clasped) The widespread introduction of antiseptic surgical methods followed the publishing of Lister's Antiseptic Principle of the Practice of Surgery in 1867.
What was the third paper of Lister?
Lister's third paper, On the minute structure of involuntary muscle fibre, published in 1858 in the same journal, was read before the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 1 December 1856. It was research into the histology and function of the minute structures of involuntary muscle fibres.
Who is Lord Lister?
Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister OM, PC, PRS, FRCSE, FFPS (5 April 1827 – 10 February 1912 ), was a British surgeon, experimental pathologist and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery. From a technical viewpoint, Lord Lister was not an exceptional surgeon, but his research into bacteriology ...
Who was the first person to meet Lister?
On his first meeting with Syme, Lister was invited to his house Millbank in Morningside (now part of Astley Ainslie Hospital ), where he met, amongst others, Agnes Syme, who was Syme's daughter by another marriage, and granddaughter of the physician Robert Willis.
How old was Joseph Lister when he died?
Nineteen years after the passing of his wife, Joseph Lister died on February 10, 1912 at Walmer in Kent, England. He was 84 years old. Joseph Lister revolutionized surgical practices by applying the germ theory to surgery.
Where was Joseph Lister born?
Early Years. Born on April 5, 1827 in Essex, England, Joseph Lister was the fourth of seven children born to Joseph Jackson Lister and Isabella Harris.
What is Lister's antiseptic principle?
While changes have been made to Lister's antisepsis methods and materials, his antiseptic principles remain the foundation for today's medical practice of asepsis (total elimination of microbes) in surgery.
What did Lister do to help Florence Nightingale?
In an attempt to combat wound infections, Lister began to employ cleanliness techniques used by Florence Nightingale and others. This process involved keeping the environment clean, changing dressings, and washing hands. However, it was not until he read the works of Louis Pasteur that Lister began to link germs with surgical wounds.
What was Lister's first treatment for a fracture wound?
In 1865, Lister began using carbolic acid (phenol), a substance used in sewage treatment, as an antiseptic to treat compound fracture wounds. These injuries were commonly treated by amputation, as they involved penetration of the skin and significant tissue damage. Lister used carbolic acid for hand washing and treatment ...
Why was Lister's surgery performed only when absolutely necessary?
During this time in history, surgery was performed only when absolutely necessary due to high death rates associated with infections.
What happened to Joseph Lister?
Death and Legacy. Joseph Lister retired in 1893 following the death of his beloved wife Agnes. He later suffered a stroke, but was still able to consult on treatment for King Edward VII's appendicitis surgery in 1902. By 1909, Lister had lost the ability to read or write.
How Did Joseph Lister Die?
After his wife’s death in 1893 during their trip to Italy, he retired from practice. He died at the age of 84 on 15 th Feb 1912 due to declining health at Kent, England where he had spent last years of his life.
Where was Joseph Lister born?
He was born on 5 th of April 1827 and his birthplace was West Ham in England. Lister’s father, himself an expert microscopist, had encouraged him to use a microscope from boyhood.
What was the treatment of the wound that Lister used?
He used dressings soaked with carbolic acid (phenol) to cover the wound observing that the infection was greatly reduced. Lister also experimented with hand-washing, sterilization of instruments and using spray of carbolic in the theatre while operating.
How many Lister patients died before antiseptic treatment?
To put some numbers to the success, from 1864 and 1866, before the use of antiseptic treatment, 46% of Lister’s surgical patients died. Whereas, from 1867 to 1870, only 15% died.
What did Joseph Lister read about fermentation?
Joseph Lister read the work of Louis Pasteur about fermentation of beer and milk being due to some micro-organisms. He then realized that this might also be the cause of putrefaction or decay in wounds.
Why did Lister show that the surgeon should be and was responsible for the effects of the operation?
When Lister showed that the surgeon should be and was responsible for the effects of the operation, it caused annoyance of many surgeons as they could no longer avoid their responsibility. They felt that Lister was endeavoring to place unnecessary heavy burden upon them lent vindictiveness to their opposition.
What was Listerian's suggestion?
One of his interesting suggestions was to avoid use porous natural material in manufacturing the handles of medical instruments. Lowering of infection was very good and Listerian principles were adopted throughout many countries by a number of surgeons.

Overview
Education
As a child, Lister attended Benjamin Abbott's Isaac Brown Academy, a private Quaker school in Hitchin in Hertfordshire. When Lister was older, he attended Grove House School in Tottenham, also a private Quaker School to study mathematics, natural science, and languages. His father was insistent that Lister received a good grounding in French and German, in the knowledge he …
Early life
Lister was born to a prosperous, educated Quaker family in the village of Upton, West Ham, Essex, then near but now in London, England. He was the fourth child and second son of four sons and three daughters born to gentleman scientist and port wine merchant Joseph Jackson Lister and Isabella Lister née Harris, who were married on 14 July 1818 in Ackworth, West Yorkshire.
Surgical profession 1854
Before Lister's studies of surgery, many people believed that chemical damage from exposure to "bad air", or miasma, was responsible for infections in wounds. Hospital wards were occasionally aired out at midday as a precaution against the spread of infection via miasma, but facilities for washing hands or a patient's wounds were not available. A surgeon was not required to wash his hands before seeing a patient; in the absence of any theory of bacterial infection, such practices …
Edinburgh 1853–1860
Syme was a well-established clinical lecturer at Edinburgh University for more than two decades, before he met Lister. Syme was considered the boldest and most original surgeon then living in Great Britain. He became a surgical pioneer during his career, preferring simpler surgical procedures as he detested complexity, in the era that immediately preceded the introduction of anesthesia.
Glasgow 1860–1869
On 1 August 1859, Lister wrote to his father to inform him of the ill-health of James A. Lawrie, Regius Professor of Surgery at the University of Glasgow, believing he was close to death. The anatomist Allen Thomson had written to Syme to inform him of Lawrie's condition and that it was his opinion that Lister was the most suitable person for the position. Lister stated that Syme believe…
The antiseptic system
The history of antiseptic surgery in the years before 1847, was preventing or treating infection in accidental wounds, often received in battle.
On 12 August 1865, Lister achieved success for the first time when he used full-strength carbolic acid to disinfect a compound fracture. He applied a piece of lint dipped in carbolic acid solution onto the wound of an 11-year-old boy, Jam…
Edinburgh 1869–1877
In 1870, Lister published "On the Effects of the Antiseptic System of Treatment upon the Salubrity of a Surgical Hospital".
On the 14 January 1871, Lister published his first details of Gauze and Spray in the British Medical Journal.
Early Years
Research and Personal Life
Implementation of Antisepsis
Lifesaving Antiseptic Success
Later Life and Honors
Death and Legacy
- Joseph Lister retired in 1893 following the death of his beloved wife Agnes. He later suffered a stroke, but was still able to consult on treatment for King Edward VII's appendicitis surgery in 1902. By 1909, Lister had lost the ability to read or write. Nineteen years after the passing of his wife, Joseph Lister died on February 10, 1912 at Walmer...
Joseph Lister Fast Facts
Sources