1012] ■ on Lord Liatpr. 561 



straightway desired to be brought into personal contact with the 

 Professor, in order that they might hear his teaching from liis own 

 Hps and see the practice carried ont by his own hands. 



Professor Saxtorph, of Copenhagen, was amongst the first of the 

 many distinguished visitors to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary to see 

 Tiister's practice and to study his metliods. After a few days he 

 remarked that tlie seeing of the practice persuaded him of its 

 feasibility, and that it then seemed much easier than it did when he 

 had only^-ead Lister's papers. So it was with many others. 



Lister as a Scottish and as a London Professor. 



Lister's teaching was more rapidly propagated among the students 

 he had in Scotland than among the London students. The position 

 which he occupied as a Scottish Professor aided in this, as it was 

 different to that held 1)y him as Professor of Surgery in a London 

 Hospital. 



Li London in those days, the bulk of students desired, naturally, 

 to take the membership of the College of Surgeons, and most 

 teachers at that time taught to the requirements of the Board of 

 Examination, otherwise their prelections were not specially sought 

 after. In London, Lister was teaching a new doctrine, not yet 

 generally homologated, and his wards were attended by few students 

 compared to the numbers that surrounded him in the Scottish 

 Universities. On the other hand. Lister had less time to devote to 

 the teaching of students, as London was more accessil)le to foreign 

 visitors, and many of his days were devoted to demonstrations for 

 their benefit. 



As a Scottish Professor, Lister's position offered the greatest 

 advantage for the dissemination of liis doctrines. He could teach 

 his own students what he believed to be true, and, if necessary, 

 teach them in advance of the time, as the teaching and the examina- 

 tion were both under his supervision. Hence Glasgow students were 

 the first to become imbued with the spirit and to thoroughly grasp 

 the principles of antiseptics, which they carried into practice. 

 Scottish students thronged his wards and lecture-theatres in the 

 infirmaries, an eager, critical and ultimately an enthusiastic crowd, 

 l»ringing inspiration to their teacher whose principles and practice 

 they afterwards bore to the ends of the earth, even before many 

 examining Boards were prepared to accept his teaching. 



Lister's Influence on the Scottish Students. 



Lister's presence in the Scottish Universities was of the utmost 

 value. By him teaching was maintained at a high level ; he used 

 the Universities to stimulate thought, and therein aided them to 

 perform their highest function. It was an inestimable blessing to a 



