Surgical Antisepsis
Joseph Lister (1827-1912), a British surgeon, reasoned that the post-surgery infections might well result due to microorganisms present in air that enter the tissues exposed during operation, and revolutionized surgical practice in 1867 by introducing antiseptic principles. He used carbolic acid (a phenol) as a disinfectant and adopted several other antiseptic procedures which are in practice still today.


