Pioneering Antiseptic Surgery

Pioneering Antiseptic Surgery

You may know from mouthwash, that this man pioneered antiseptic surgery. Before, surgery was done in an almost clean environment. After his use of antiseptic sterile environments, surgeries became more successful. Do you know what his name is? Hint: It is lent to a certain brand of mouthwash.

The Answer

His name is Joseph Lister. Lister was a British surgeon who used carbolic acid as a disinfectant for surgical purposes. Before sterile surgeries, patients would die of an infection from dirty instruments, or microbes entering at the wound site. He would put carbolic acid on wound dressings, and washed his hands during and after surgery. His name is lent to the mouthwash Listerine. Lister is known as the “father of antiseptic surgery.”

Why Are Clean Environments Important?

Lister’s legacy became standard practice for all surgeons. Clean environments reduce the risk of infection. The use of sterilizers and clean environments reduce the chance that a dangerous microbe will penetrate the body. Although people can still die from infections at the wound site, it is far less likely to be as a result from work environments.

Final Thoughts

Did you like this article? Did you think it was cool? For more medical trivia, please click our Wednesday Wisdoms.