18. Joseph Lister and the elimination of microbes
Although it was Louis Pasteur who first launched the field of microbiology, it was Joseph Lister who applied Pasteur’s ideas to the field of surgery. Lister proposed and practiced the theory of sterilization of surgical instruments and the hands of those performing an operation, as well as the sterile field around the areas of incision. Lister suggested the use of carbolic acid to sterilize instruments before surgery, and the results of his work were significant reductions in post-surgical infections. Lister also discovered that a solution of carbolic acid applied to wounds reduced the incidence of gangrene dramatically. He is considered the father of modern surgery, and certainly saved the lives of countless patients through the techniques he promoted.