Joseph Lister
Who was Joseph Lister?
Joseph Lister was born on the 5th April 1827 at Upton, Essex, England. He studied for a degree at University College, London and then continued as a medical student in 1848. In 1856, Joseph Lister became an assistant surgeon at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where he met his future wife, who was extremely interested in his work. |
What were hospital
conditions like at this time?
Conditions in operating theatres in hospitals were very unhygienic at the middle of the nineteenth century. As a result, around 50 percent of patients died due to infection after surgery. The infected wounds were generally known as 'hospital gangrene' or sepsis. Most people believed that the infections were caused by exposing moist wounds to the bad air. As a result, they believed that wounds should be covered to keep the air out.
What was Lister's viewpoint?
Lister did not believe that it was bad air alone that led to infection, but that the flesh of the wound was decomposing. After reading the work of the French scientist, Louis Pasteur, he thought that it was probably bacteria in the air getting onto the wound, which was causing the infection. He thought that he might be able to kill bacteria in order to stop the infection.
Some people believe that Lister had remembered the old idea of covering amputations with tar and got the idea that the acid found in tar could destroy the bacteria. As a result, he soaked dressings in carbolic acid and had them applied to wounds immediately after an operation. He also had a spray of carbolic acid directed on the wound during an operation.
Conditions in operating theatres in hospitals were very unhygienic at the middle of the nineteenth century. As a result, around 50 percent of patients died due to infection after surgery. The infected wounds were generally known as 'hospital gangrene' or sepsis. Most people believed that the infections were caused by exposing moist wounds to the bad air. As a result, they believed that wounds should be covered to keep the air out.
What was Lister's viewpoint?
Lister did not believe that it was bad air alone that led to infection, but that the flesh of the wound was decomposing. After reading the work of the French scientist, Louis Pasteur, he thought that it was probably bacteria in the air getting onto the wound, which was causing the infection. He thought that he might be able to kill bacteria in order to stop the infection.
Some people believe that Lister had remembered the old idea of covering amputations with tar and got the idea that the acid found in tar could destroy the bacteria. As a result, he soaked dressings in carbolic acid and had them applied to wounds immediately after an operation. He also had a spray of carbolic acid directed on the wound during an operation.
Lister continued his
experiments for two years, and in 1867 told the public that carbolic acid was
an antiseptic. In other words, it prevented the wounds he had treated
from going septic.
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What else did Joseph Lister
achieve?
As a result of Lister's work and similar work in hospitals in Germany, people realised the importance of cleanliness in hospitals and it became common for staff in operating theatres to wear long white gowns, which easily showed dirt, and use surgical gauze to carefully clean sores and wounds.
As a result of Lister's work and similar work in hospitals in Germany, people realised the importance of cleanliness in hospitals and it became common for staff in operating theatres to wear long white gowns, which easily showed dirt, and use surgical gauze to carefully clean sores and wounds.