Joseph Lister and Carbolic Acid

Question 1

Carbolic acid was used to treat sewage. How is this linked to Lister?

Answer 1

Lister wondered if carbolic acid could kill infection in the body the same way that it killed germs in sewage.

Question 2

The survival rate among Lister’s patients was dramatically raised after he began to use carbolic acid. Link this to doctors.

Answer 2

Not all surgeons accepted Lister’s methods so progression in surgery was limited. This was because it was a new idea, and also because a lot of surgeons didn’t believe in Pasteur’s germ theory.

Question 3

Many patients died from infection after a ‘successful’ operation and the use of anaesthetics encouraged surgeons to try longer and more complex operations.

Answer 3

Surgeons recognized the problem of the high death rate but believed it to be due to the patient being weak. Surgeons also didn’t recognize Pasteur’s germ theory.

Question 4

Many surgeons disagreed with Lister’s theories and some had good survival rates without the use of carbolic.

Answer 4

As the understanding of microbes and infection improved, more attempts were made to prevent infection getting in the wound, by creating a sterile environment.

Question 5

Name one reason why carbolic spray faced opposition.

Hint, skin

Answer 5

It cracked the surgeons skin when they were operating.

Question 6

Name a reason why people were critical of Lister and his methods.
(Hint, change)

Answer 6

Lister was constantly changing his techniques to find anything that could work equally as well as carbolic, but without corrosion. Critics said he changed his methods because they didn’t work.

Question 7

Why did surgeons feel that Lister was criticizing them?

Answer 7

For centuries, surgeons lived with the fact that their patients died. When Lister said he achieved good results using carbolic acid (and anaesthetics in general), they didn’t believe him. They felt he was criticizing them for letting their patients down.

Question 8

Why did surgeons copying Lister’s methods get different results to him?

Answer 8

They weren’t as systematic as Lister, as they tried cutting corners. They also tried going quickly, as operating at speed was what they were used to.