Beyond antisepsis: Examining the relevance of the works of Joseph Baron Lister to the contemporary surgeon-scientist

ABSTRACT

As the father of antispesis, the legacy of Joseph Baron Lister is assured and his influence on the development of contemporary surgical practice is recognised in the context of his achievement of predictable, infection-free surgery. However, looking beyond Lister’s finest achievement and examining this work in the context of his whole career as a surgeon-scientist reveals important lessons pertinent to aspiring peers in how, by replacing surgical dogma with observation, deductive reasoning and scientific verification, by pursuing good ideas in the face of resistance and by making research directly relevant and patient-focused, lasting changes can be accomplished. This short paper aims to put Lister’s developments in antisepsis in the context of his whole career, to evaluate his legacy and to commend his approach to contemporary surgeon-scientists.

KEY WORDS

Joseph Lister - surgery - antisepsis - inflammation - translational medicine

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