Lister's carbolic steam spray

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Carbolic steam spray used by the British surgeon Joseph Lister (1827-1912). Lister qualified as a surgeon in London in 1852. At that time surgery was usually followed by infection and high mortality rates. Lister, having read Pasteur's work on fermentation, realised that micro-organisms causing this could be killed with chemical compounds. Lister mainly used phenol solution (carbolic acid) and steam as his preferred antiseptics. Lister's antiseptic procedures produced immediate improvements and were quickly adopted.

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Photo credit: © Wellcome Images/Science Photo Library / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
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