JOSEPH LISTER

 JOSEPH LISTER

·       Sir Joseph Lister is a British Surgeon.

·       Joseph Lister is the Father of Antiseptic surgery and Modern Surgery.

·       Joseph Lister was the first to apply the science of Germ Theory to surgery.

·   “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 was the founder of Antiseptic Medicine and a pioneer in Preventive Medicine.

·       Joseph Lister discovered that Carbolic acid (now known as Phenol) to disinfect the surgical equipment and dressings leads the reduction of post-operational deaths/infections. He used dressings soaked in carbolic acid to cover wounds and the rate of infection was vastly reduced. Lister then experimented with hand-washing, sterilizing 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.

·     Joseph Lister developed the Pure cultures of bacteria using Serial dilution technique. He was the first person to isolate bacteria in Pure culture (Bacillus lactis now called as Lactobacillus lactis) using liquid cultures.

·       Joseph Lister also pioneered the use of Catgut and Rubber tubing for wound drainage.

·       Joseph Lister also showed that urine could be kept sterile after boiling in Swan necked flasks.