Pioneers in infection control—Joseph Lister

Joseph Lister is one of the pioneers of Infection Control. Not only did he reduce the incidence of wound infection (usually fatal pre-Lister) by the introduction of antiseptic surgery using carbolic acid, but also he was the first to apply Pasteur’s principles to humans. He showed that urine could b...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Hospital Infection 2003-12, Vol.55 (4), p.246-253
Main Author: Newsom, S.W.B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antiseptic surgery
Biological and medical sciences
Carbolic acid
General Surgery - history
History, 19th Century
Humans
Infection Control - history
Infectious diseases
Lister
Medical sciences
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Pure culture of bacteria
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Summary:Joseph Lister is one of the pioneers of Infection Control. Not only did he reduce the incidence of wound infection (usually fatal pre-Lister) by the introduction of antiseptic surgery using carbolic acid, but also he was the first to apply Pasteur’s principles to humans. He showed that urine could be kept sterile after boiling in swan-necked flasks. He was the first person to isolate bacteria in pure culture ( Bacillus lactis) using liquid cultures containing either Pasteur’s solution of turnip infusion and a special syringe to dilute the inoculum and so can be considered a co-founder of medical microbiology with Koch, who later isolated bacteria on solid media. Lister also pioneered the use of catgut and rubber tubing for wound drainage. His life can be split into five periods: 1844–1853, London: first period; 1853–1860, Edinburgh: first period; 1860–1869, Glasgow (where he developed his ‘antiseptic system’); 1869–1877, Edinburgh: second period; 1877–1900, London: second period.
ISSN:0195-6701
1532-2939
DOI:10.1016/j.jhin.2003.08.001