Germ Theory & Dr. Lister

“Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.”-Denis Waitley

Did you know that Listerine, the antiseptic mouthwash, was named after Dr. Joseph Lister who discovered the idea of antiseptic surgery by killing bacteria in 1867? Prior to Dr. Lister, a surgeon would put on their gore splatter overcoat, take the dirty saw off the wall, sharpen their knife on the sole of their boot, and then hack away as quickly as possible (2-3 minutes max) to avoid contamination from the “air”.

While great advances were made in anatomy and surgerical technique in the early 1800s, the vast majority of patients would die days later from infection. Going to the hospital was always a LAST resort; only used when at death’s door. Even today, at least 100,000 Americans each year are "left vulnerable to surgical infections", see Hospital infection survey: Too many patients still at risk.

Antiseptic means anti-sepsis (pus). Lister learned about the germ theory of disease and rot from the research of Louis Pasteur. Lister confirmed that bacteria was also cause of surgical pus and infection but he had a problem. He could not “Pasteurize” patients by heating them up. Fortunately he had heard that Carbolic acid was useful in deodorizing sewage so he decided to try it as a germ killer. It worked and deaths from amputations declined greatly. This discovery was praised and studied by the leaders of Medical Science (the French and Germans) but largely ignored by the British and Americans until overwhelming evidence proved that Lister was correct.

One reason for opposition to antiseptics was the damage it did to living tissue. Sure it kills germs but it can damage flesh too. Surgeons lived by the skill of their hands which Carbolic acid would turn to red puffy hamburger. The America Chief of Surgery at Johns Hopkins, William Stewart Halsted, invented the rubber glove to protect the pretty hands of his favorite nurse (and future wife) from acid damage.

The Germans improved upon Lister’s idea for clean surgery. Instead of killing germs (antiseptic) by spraying everything in acid, why not prevent germs (aseptic) by use of hand washing, clean gowns, surgical masks, and sterile instruments? This worked too and didn’t harm the doctors and nurses.

Bottom Line

When the British Medical Journal surveyed 11,000 physicians for the most significant medical breakthrough in the past 150 years, the winning answer was Sanitation. Today we take it for granted that we can drink water straight from the faucet and not catch cholera. We go to hospitals today with the assumption that we will survive.

During emergencies the first casualty is usually sanitation. Floodwaters and power outages allow sewage to mix with drinking water. Food spoils without refrigeration. Toilets overflow and human waste is improperly disposed of. People are crowded together, with stress induced weakened immune systems, and germs spread.

So keep Dr. Lister in mind and remember that germs can kill. After an emergency, boil your water and cook food completely; toss out anything spoiled. Clean ALL wounds no matter how minor. You can use Listerine for this! It was used in surgery (in stronger concentration) for decades before it became a mouthwash.