Joseph Lister (1827–1912)
Using phenol as an antiseptic, he reduced the mortality rate in his ward to 15 percent within four years. Today, he is regarded as the founder of antiseptic medicine.
He is distinguished as the 'Father of Modern Surgery' for his contribution to sterile surgery that led to the safety of patients who underwent complex surgeries. He developed the principles of cleanliness that changed the face of medicine and surgical practice forever. Joseph Lister is also known as the founder of antiseptic medicine and the inventor of preventive medicine.
British surgeon and scientist Joseph Lister is best known for spearheading the medical use of antiseptic medicine.
Joseph Lister was born on 1827, in Upton, England. In 1861, Lister observed that 45 to 50 percent of amputation patients died from sepsis. In 1865, he learned of Louis Pasteur's theory that microorganisms cause infection.