why is joseph lister called the father of antiseptic surgery

Joseph Lister

found a way to prevent infection in wounds during and after surgery. He was the first to apply the science of Germ Theory to surgery. Lister's Antisepsis System is the basis of modern infection control.

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Why is Joseph Lister the father of antiseptic surgery?

Joseph Lister found a way to prevent infection in wounds during and after surgery. He was the first to apply the science of Germ Theory to surgery. Lister's Antisepsis System is the basis of modern infection control. His principles made surgery safe and continue to save countless lives.

Why is Joseph Lister known as the father of modern surgery?

Lister then experimented with hand-washing, sterilising instruments and spraying carbolic in the theatre while operating, in order to limit infection. These experiments resulted in the development of the carbolic spray and the antiseptic treatment of wounds, which greatly improved survival rates on the surgical wards.

Is Joseph Lister the father of antiseptic surgery?

All this would change, however, with the pioneering work of Joseph Lister, the man who is now widely acknowledged as the 'Father of Antiseptic Surgery'. Lister was born in West Ham, Essex, in 1827.

Who is called the father of antiseptic surgery?

Joseph Lister[Joseph Lister, the "father" of antiseptic surgery]

How did Joseph Lister discover antiseptic?

This 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.

What is antiseptic surgery?

The antiseptic water-bath, for treating wounds of the extremities, is a method employed by some foreign surgeons with excellent results. The injured limbs are immersed in water which has been impregnated with alcohol, tincture of benzoin, or some agent to prevent fermentation.

What is the first surgical antiseptic?

Abstract. Joseph Lister is one of the pioneers of Infection Control. Not only did he reduce the incidence of wound infection (usually fatal pre-Lister) by the introduction of antiseptic surgery using carbolic acid, but also he was the first to apply Pasteur's principles to humans.

What is the difference between antiseptic and aseptic surgery?

While antisepsis is concerned with the removal of microorganisms immediately before, during, and after surgery or other work, asepsis is concerned with the maintenance of sterile conditions through good hygiene procedures.

When was antiseptic invented?

In the late 1860s, Joseph Lister, a surgeon in Glasgow, Scotland, followed Pasteur's lead: he devised antiseptic surgical techniques, using chemicals to kill bacteria. In Cleveland, as elsewhere across the United States, antiseptic surgery began winning acceptance around 1876.

Who was considered as the father of medicine in India?

Abstract. Sushruta is the most celebrated physician and surgeon in India. Though he practiced during the 5th century B.C., many of his contributions to medicine and surgery preceded similar discoveries in the Western world. Sushruta devotes a complete volume of his experiences to ophthalmologic diseases.

Which surgery was discovered by the British?

1843: The first hysterectomy was performed in England. 1846: Surgical anesthesia was demonstrated for the first time by American dentist William T. G. Morton using the inhalation of ether. Prior to this discovery, all patients had to undergo operations, including amputations, while awake.

When was sterile surgery invented?

Believe it or not, this was a common scenario little more than a century ago—until 1888, when Johnson & Johnson helped introduce the concept of sterile surgery by publishing a first-of-its-kind educational manual, Modern Methods of Antiseptic Wound Treatment, which explained how to prevent the spread of infection- ...

Who is called the father of modern surgery?

Ambroise Paré (1509? –1590), often called the Father of Modern Surgery, was a French barber surgeon. Because of his innovative approach to surgery and patient care, he was elevated to the position of master surgeon.

Who invented modern surgery?

Al Zahrawi is considered the father of operative surgery. He is credited with performance of the first thyroidectomy. The last chapter of his comprehensive book, named “On Surgery”, was dedicated to surgical instruments. He introduced over 200 surgical tools, a staggering number by all standards.

Who is the best known American surgeon of modern era?

William Stewart HalstedAlma materYale University; College of Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia UniversityKnown forInventing the residency training system in U.S. Mastectomy Introduced rubber surgical glovesScientific careerFieldsMedicine6 more rows

How did Joseph Lister contribute to the development of healthcare?

Abstract. Joseph Lister is one of the pioneers of Infection Control. Not only did he reduce the incidence of wound infection (usually fatal pre-Lister) by the introduction of antiseptic surgery using carbolic acid, but also he was the first to apply Pasteur's principles to humans.

What did Joseph Lister learn?

Trained by his father to use microscopes, he had studied microscopic fungi and other botanical specimens, dissected small animals, and articulated skeletons. He went to two private schools, and had learned French and German, chemistry, physiology, botany, and microscopy. He had trained under distinguished professors of medicine and physiology, graduating from the University of London in 1852 and later becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. While at University College he had written papers on the muscle of the iris and the involuntary muscle fibers of the skin; and had witnessed there the first surgical operation done under ether anesthesia. After graduation he moved to Edinburgh (1853), secured a surgical appointment at the University and the Royal Infirmary, married his chief’s daughter, and spent the next seven years operating, lecturing, and engaging in research. In 1860 he was appointed Regius Professor at the University of Glasgow.

What was the first substance Lister used to treat a fractured leg?

He settled on a substance called German creosote, used to clean up a sewage plant in nearby Carlisle and then available as a 5% carbolic acid solution. For his first patient, one with a compound fracture of the leg, he produced a small bottle of carbolic acid, poured some into the wound and made a paste of it by mixing it with the blood, then covered the wound and added some fresh carbolic acid every day. The patient recovered with no infection. Between 1865 and 1867 he treated eleven cases of compound fractures, of which nine healed without infection. Next he successfully removed a tumor from a man’s arm by applying his antiseptic to the sutured wound; then used it for several amputations, also for a large ventral hernia that required removing a great amount of fat. As carbolic acid was irritating in solution, Lister dissolved it in oil and later mixed it with powdered chalk to form a sort of a paste or putty that was applied to the wound. To prevent secondary hemorrhage he also used carbolic acid to sterilize the gut suturing material.

Why did Lister use carbolic acid?

As carbolic acid was irritating in solution, Lister dissolved it in oil and later mixed it with powdered chalk to form a sort of a paste or putty that was applied to the wound. To prevent secondary hemorrhage he also used carbolic acid to sterilize the gut suturing material.

What was the name of the pump that Lister used to purify the air in the operating room?

Between 1871 and 1887 he also used a carbolic acid spray to purify the air in the operating room. It was a pump with a long handle that came to be called the “donkey engine” and caused much mirth but was abandoned when Lister realized that pathogenic organisms were not plentiful in the air.

What did Louis Pasteur study?

But in France a rising young chemist, Louis Pasteur, was about to unleash a great revolution. He had studied milk, wine, beer, silkworms, and yeasts. Between 1850 and 1860 he had performed a series of rigorous experiments that led him to conclude that the souring of milk by the production of lactic acid and the conversion of glucose to ethanol to make wine were initiated by living microscopic organic matter present in the air. None of these processes would take place when air was excluded from the media in which these experiments were conducted. Pasteur then demonstrated that putrefaction of organic matter such as dead meat would also not in occur when air was excluded, indicating that this too was caused by the matter present in the air; and it was his genius to make the final leap that human diseases occurring during life would also be caused by aerially transmitted germs.

What was used to preserve cadavers?

Alcohol had been used freely on the continent, also at times “oil and wine,” glycerin, chlorine, iodine, and coal tar. By 1851 carbolic acid had been used in England to preserve cadavers, and in 1860 Jules Lemaire in Paris had published on its use in the treatment of wounds but was largely ignored.

What was the smell of a hospital?

Hygiene in hospitals was deplorable. A haunting mildly nauseating smell of putrefaction clung to the clothes of the surgeons, some of whom were not ashamed to speak of the “good old hospital stink.” Old rags were strewn about the operating room, also sponges and dirty instruments. Surgeons rarely washed their hands; wore street clothes while operating; and circulated freely between the living patients they treated and the dead ones they dissected or autopsied. No attempt was made to isolate septic cases, and the nurses and dressers moved directly from patients with erysipelas to healthy ones. The water supply was often polluted, and toilets could be placed in close proximity to the patient area. A hospital was not expected to be more spotless than a carpenter’s shop.

Who was the surgeon who used Lister's antiseptics?

One notable supporter was Marcus Beck, a consultant surgeon at University College Hospital, who not only used Lister’s antiseptic techniques with success but also included instruction on them in a major surgical textbook he wrote. It took 12 years for Lister’s techniques to gain widespread recognition though.

Who was Lister's surgeon?

One of his physiology tutors, Professor Sharpely, recommended that he go to Edinburgh to study under the renowned surgeon James Syme. Syme was widely acknowledged as the greatest surgical tutor of the time and was extremely influential on Lister.

What did Lister do to help the surgical field?

He also instructed surgeons under his supervision to wear clean gloves and to wash their hands before and after operations with 5% carbolic acid solutions. The surgical instruments were also washed in the same solution. The combination of these antiseptic measures resulted in a dramatic fall in the death rate of Lister’s surgical patients from close to 50% to only 15% in 1870.

What was the death rate of Lister's surgical patients in 1870?

The combination of these antiseptic measures resulted in a dramatic fall in the death rate of Lister’s surgical patients from close to 50% to only 15% in 1870. Despite this success, Lister’s antiseptic surgery techniques were greeted by harsh criticism early in his career and were widely rejected by his peers.

What was the germ theory of disease in the mid 1800s?

Miasma theory held that disease was spread by a poisonous form of ‘bad air’ that was emitted from rotting organic matter. A representation of miasma theory by the artist Robert Seymour.

What was Lister's first experiment?

Lister felt that this substance had potential as a disinfectant and he started to experiment with it on his patients. Initially, Lister used the carbolic acid to clean compound fracture wounds, and the results were quite remarkable. He described his findings in a report in the Lancet in 1867:

When did Lister return to Edinburgh?

Acceptance and the Spread of Antiseptic Technique. In 1869 Lister returned to Edinburgh as successor to his mentor James Syme. Gradually, over time, a few surgeons started to incorporate the use of carbolic acid and antiseptic techniques into their practice.

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 was Joseph Lister's research?

Joseph Lister's research was centered on inflammation and its impact on wound healing. He published a number of papers regarding muscle activity in the skin and eyes, coagulation of blood, and blood vessel engorgement during inflammation.

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 ...

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.

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.

Who is the father of antiseptic surgery?

Lister has gone down in history as the father of antiseptic surgery. Credit: Wellcome Images

What was the impact of Joseph Lister's death?

When surgeon Joseph Lister died at the age of 84 on February 10, 1912, he left behind a drastic reduction in the mortality of surg ical patients due to infections. According to statistics collected by himself, the decrease went from almost 50% of those operated on to only 15%. Although other pioneers were then working on the same ideas, ...

What was Lister's protocol for sterilizing surgical instruments?

A protocol to sterilize. From then on, Lister laid out a protocol to sterilize the surgical instruments, the hands of the surgeon, the dressings and the wounds with solutions of carbolic acid, and even designed a sprayer to diffuse the substance in the air of the operating room, which was definitely not pleasant.

Who designed the carbolic acid sprayer?

The image shows the use of the carbolic acid sprayer designed by Lister. Credit: Wellcome Images

Who was not convinced of the theory of miasmas?

But Joseph Lister (5 April 1827 – 10 February 1912) was not convinced by the theory of miasmas. He observed that the cleaning of the wound sometimes managed to contain the infection, leading him to suspect that the root of the problem was not in the air, but in the wound itself.

Who worshiped the good old surgical stink?

Beyond this almost unique hygienic habit, the surgeons of the time worshiped the “good old surgical stink,” as Lindsey Fitzharris reflects in her recent book The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister’s Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine (Scientific American/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017). The doctors arrived at the operating theatre in their street clothes and, without even washing their hands, put on their surgical gowns covered in dried blood and pus, like military stripes on an army uniform.

Did surgeons resist operating?

Thus, it was not uncommon for even the surgeons themselves to resist operating as long as it was not absolutely essential. The problem of infections was so pressing that there was even talk of abolishing surgery altogether in hospitals. But Joseph Lister (5 April 1827 – 10 February 1912) was not convinced by the theory of miasmas. He observed that the cleaning of the wound sometimes managed to contain the infection, leading him to suspect that the root of the problem was not in the air, but in the wound itself.

What did Lister discover about sepsis?

In this ward Lister began his experiments with antisepsis. Much of his earlier published work had dealt with the mechanism of coagulation of the blood and role of the blood vessels in the first stages of inflammation. Both researches depended upon the microscope and were directly connected with the healing of wounds. Lister had already tried out methods to encourage clean healing and had formed theories to account for the prevalence of sepsis. Discarding the popular concept of miasma—direct infection by bad air—he postulated that sepsis might be caused by a pollen-like dust. There is no evidence that he believed this dust to be living matter, but he had come close to the truth. It is therefore all the more surprising that he became acquainted with the work of the bacteriologist Louis Pasteur only in 1865.

Who is Joseph Lister?

Joseph Lister, in full Joseph Lister, Baron Lister of Lyme Regis, also called (1883–97) Sir Joseph Lister, Baronet, (born April 5, 1827, Upton, Essex, England—died February 10, 1912, Walmer, Kent), British surgeon and medical scientist who was the founder of antiseptic medicine and a pioneer in preventive medicine.

What was the result of Lister's experiments with antisepsis during the Franco-German War?

There followed the seven happiest years of his life when, largely as the result of German experiments with antisepsis during the Franco-German War, his clinics were crowded with visitors and eager students. In 1875 Lister made a triumphal tour of the leading surgical centres in Germany.

What was the name of the surgeon who was appointed to the Royal Infirmary in 1861?

When three years later the Regius Professorship of Surgery at Glasgow University fell vacant, Lister was elected from seven applicants. In August 1861 he was appointed surgeon to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, where he was in charge of wards in the new surgical block. The managers hoped that hospital disease (now known as operative sepsis—infection of the blood by disease-producing microorganisms) would be greatly decreased in their new building. The hope proved vain, however. Lister reported that, in his Male Accident Ward, between 45 and 50 percent of his amputation cases died from sepsis between 1861 and 1865.

What did Lister believe about Pasteur's theory?

At the start he believed the germs were carried solely by the air.

When did Lister use his new method?

Lister first successfully used his new method on August 12, 1865; in March 1867 he published a series of cases. The results were dramatic. Between 1865 and 1869, surgical mortality fell from 45 to 15 percent in his Male Accident Ward. In 1869, Lister succeeded Syme in the chair of Clinical Surgery at Edinburgh.

Who invented the antiseptic barrier?

From Pasteur, Joseph Lister derived the concepts that enabled him to introduce the antiseptic principle into surgery. In 1865 Lister, a professor of surgery at Glasgow University, began placing an antiseptic barrier of carbolic acid between the wound and the germ-containing atmosphere. Infections and deaths fell dramatically,…

What did Joseph Lister do?

The Listers were Quakers who led a quiet, simple life . Young Joseph attended Quaker schools in Hertfordshire and London, where science subjects were emphasized. Following matriculation, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of London in 1847. Shortly after this he contracted smallpox. When he had fully recovered, he returned to the University of London as a medical student, qualifying as a doctor in 1850. Lister obtained Bachelor’s degrees in Medicine and Surgery, and in the process won two university gold medals for his outstanding marks. Further study saw Lister easily pass the examination to become a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) in 1852.

Why did Lister think nothing could be done about these infections?

After all, they thought, nothing could be done about these infections, because they arose spontaneously inside the wound. Lister however, was not convinced of the inevitability of infection (which was also known as sepsis). He began to search for a way of preventing infection—that is, an antisepsis method.

How did Lister determine the cause of infection?

Lister’s first clue as to the cause of infection came from comparing patients who had simple fractures with those who had compound fractures. Simple fractures do not involve an external wound. These patients had their bones set and placed in a cast, and they recovered. Compound fractures are those where the broken bone pierces the skin and is exposed to the air. More than half of these patients died. Lister reasoned that somehow the infection must enter the wound from the outside. But how exactly did this occur? And what could be done to prevent it?

How many people died from infection in Lister's surgery?

In the Edinburgh Hospital where Lister worked, almost half of the surgery patients died from infection. In some hospitals in Europe, as many as 80 per cent died. While surgeons regretted this high death rate, they trained themselves to accept this unpleasant aspect of their work. After all, they thought, nothing could be done about these infections, because they arose spontaneously inside the wound. Lister however, was not convinced of the inevitability of infection (which was also known as sepsis). He began to search for a way of preventing infection—that is, an antisepsis method.

What was the third hurdle that Lister faced?

The third major hurdle, the control of infection, remained unconquered when Lister began working as a surgeon.

Why did Lister decide to conduct research?

Lister had decided not just to practise medicine, but also to conduct research to improve medical knowledge.

Why did Lister use a microscope?

Lister's research required frequent use of a microscope—a tool very familiar to him because of his father's involvement with it . Lister’s research required considerable sacrifice and dedication, as it was undertaken at night after he had completed a full working-day in the hospital wards.

Early Years

Research and Personal Life

Implementation of Antisepsis

• By 1861, Lister was leading the surgical ward at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. During this time in history, surgery was performed only when absolutely necessary due to high death rates associated with infections. With little understanding of how germs like bacteriacaused disease, surgical procedures were regularly performed in unsanitary conditions....

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Lifesaving Antiseptic Success

Later Life and Honors

Death and Legacy

Joseph Lister Fast Facts

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