Joseph Lister
The British surgeon who led the clean-up operation in 19th-century healthcare, setting new standards for hospital hygiene. ow? Did you kn r’s Joseph Liste d father pioneerer the s fo improved lense roscope. compound mic
The founder of e ANTIS EPTIC medicin Surgical study
tion First public demonstrasthetic ae an an of the use of in surgery
At the age of 19, Lister watched the first public surgical procedure using anaesthetic (medicine to stop someone feeling pain). Inspired by this, he studied MEDICINE, graduating in 1852. Later that year, he joined the Royal College of Surgeons and became a surgeon at the University College Hospital in London.
A “donkey engine”, was used to spray phenol around the operating theatre.
s on Lister reveals germ struments. unwashed surgical in
Pasteur’s principles Influenced by the work of French chemist Louis Pasteur, Lister EXPERIMENTED to confirm that infections are caused by germs and not bad air as was believed at the time. After noticing that almost half of amputation patients died from blood poisoning caused by germs, Lister was determined to find a solution.
Who came before... John hunter was Britain’s leading lecturer on surgery during the 18th century. At a time when most surgeons were not trained doctors, he advocated a scientific approach to surgical procedures. 114
In the 19th century, Hungarian doctor Ignaz SemmelweIS was the first to observe a connection between hospital cleanliness and infection levels. He advised doctors to wash their hands thoroughly before operations to reduce infections.
