Lister and the impact of antiseptics

• Antiseptics


  Substances used to prevent infection, especially in surgical wounds
• Lister's use of carbolic acid


  • Used before, during and after surgery
  • Had a profound impact on reducing sepsis in patients
  • Discovered the first antiseptic and promoted antiseptic methods
• It took time for Lister's ideas on antiseptics to be accepted
• In the 1860s and 1870s, few people believed germs caused disease or sepsis, so few thought antiseptics were necessary
• Beliefs about causes of infection


  • Some doctors and nurses believed in the miasma theory, so thought soap and water was sufficient
  • Lister believed microbes were getting into surgical wounds and causing infection
• Applying carbolic acid took time, made instruments hard to grip, and caused blisters and sores on skin with repeated use, so surgeons and doctors did not like using it
• Carbolic acid had to thoroughly clean everything for it to be effective, and at first many surgeons and assistants made mistakes so infection rates did not always improve
• Lister continuously experimented with different techniques and substances, which made people think his ideas didn't work
• Joseph Lister


  • Talented surgeon who worked to reduce infection rates
  • Deeply religious man who felt called to help people as a surgeon
  • Discovered, used and promoted the first antiseptic and antiseptic methods
• Lister's approach to reducing infection


  1. Read widely and did research to understand causes of infection

  2. Experimented with using carbolic acid to prevent wound infection

  3. Published his findings so others could use his methods

  4. Recommended surgeons wash hands and instruments in carbolic acid
• Lister's use of carbolic acid dramatically reduced the death rate from around 50% to around 15%
• Compound fracture


  A fracture where the bone breaks through the skin
• Compound fractures had an extremely high infection rate before Lister's use of carbolic acid
• Ligature


  Thread for stitching wounds
• Lister's inventions


  1. Carbolic spray to kill microbes in the air during operations

  2. Ligature that could be cleaned with carbolic acid and dissolved, leaving no means for infection to enter