Joseph Lister (1827-1912): a pioneer of antiseptic surgery
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Joseph Lister was a prominent British surgeon and medical scientist who established the study of antisepsis. Applying Louis Pasteur's germ theory of fermentation on wound putrefaction, he promoted the idea of sterilization in surgery using carbolic acid (phenol) as an antiseptic. His method reduced the incidence of wound sepsis and gangrene, which, in turn, reduced the need for amputation. By showing how germs could be prevented from entering the wound, Lister increased the safety of surgical operations and laid the foundations for all subsequent advances in the field.
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Encouraged by Pasteur's findings, Lister hypothesized that airborne pathogens were the cause of wound infection and suppuration.
“Encouraged by Pasteur’s findings, Lister hypothesized that airborne pathogens were the cause of wound infection and suppuration.”
From Louis Pasteur: A Legacy Unmasked (2024) · cites this paper as [15]
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Joseph Lister and the performance of antiseptic surgery
Worboys, M. (2013) · Notes and Records of the Royal Society · doi:10.1098/rsnr.2013.0028 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Cope, Z. (1967) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.2.5543.7 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
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Research works printed but not linked: 7
- [2]Lister as a surgeon Br Med J Moynihan B 656 658 1 1927 20773117 PMC2454878
- [3]An address on Pasteur and Lister Br Med J Hart DB 1838 1840 2 1902 20760577 PMC2402322
- [4]Joseph Lister: father of modern surgery Can J Surg Pitt D Aubin JM 0 9 55 2012 PMC3468637 22992425
- [13]Louis Pasteur: between myth and reality Biomolecules Cavaillon JM Legout S 596 12 2022 35454184 PMC9027159
- [14]The History of Bacteriology Bulloch W London Oxford University Press 1938
- [17]Joseph Lister's surgical revolution J Invest Surg Toledo-Pereyra LH 241 243 23 2010 20874477
- [18]A Time to Heal: The Diffusion of Listerism in Victorian Britain. Transactions of the American Philosophical Society Gaw J Philadelphia, PA American Philosophical Society 1999
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Louis Pasteur: A Legacy Unmasked
Jambholkar, P. C., Choudhari, S. G., & Sharma, M. (2024) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.68080 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
- Authors
- Michaleas, S. N., Laios, K., Charalabopoulos, A., Samonis, G., & Karamanou, M.
- Affiliations
- University of Crete (GR)
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (GR)
- Corresponding author
- Michaleas, Spyros N
- ORCID
- Venue
- Cureus
- Published
- 2022-12-21
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- e32777-e32777
- ISSN
- 2168-8184 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC9854334
- OpenAlex
- W4313207527
- Cited by
- 21
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 2
- FWCI
- 88.35
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- diamond
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- Cureus (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Medical History and Innovations
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › History of Medical Practice
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Historical Medical Research and Treatments
- Keywords
- Joseph Lister, antiseptic surgery, antisepsis, germ theory, Louis Pasteur, carbolic acid, phenols, surgical sterilization, wound sepsis, gangrene, amputation prevention, history of surgery
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