DEVELOPMENT IN NINETEENTH CENTURY 317 



Hartshorne used parchment and Jameson proposed ligature from 

 deerskin. All these factors, which now are recognized as an essential 

 part of antiseptic surgery, were marked steps toward the perfect 

 aseptic technic of to-day. 



The general subject of antiseptics cannot be passed over without 

 a just and generous recognition of Lord Lister's work. It is simply 

 right to say that to him belongs the exclusive honor of having 

 discovered antiseptic surgery. While at Glasgow, in his early pro- 

 fessional life, Lord Lister became impressed with "the evils of putre- 

 faction in surgery." What appalled him in his clinical observations 

 was the difference of healing between a simple and compound 

 fracture. In a compound fracture there was communication between 

 the seat of fracture and the external air. This condition gave rise to 

 suppuration, blood-poisoning, and death. In a simple fracture there 

 was no communication between the seat of fracture and the external 

 air, and the wound healed speedily without suppuration, blood- 

 poisoning, or death. This striking behavior in the action of wounds 

 led Lister to the discovery which has made his work imperishable, 

 and has given an earthly immortality to his name. Mr. Lister 

 believed that the blood in the wound underwent putrefaction in the 

 same way as Pasteur had demonstrated that meat decomposed 

 through exposure to the air. Lister's first endeavor was to overcome 

 the evil by scrupulous cleanliness, just as Mott had done. But he 

 quickly found that this method was inadequate to meet the need. 

 Studying the subject, he immediately realized that Pasteur's theory 

 was correct; that putrefaction was a fermentation produced by 

 bacteria in the air; that these microorganisms could not develop 

 de novo, in the putrefying substances; and that there was no such 

 thing as spontaneous generation of bacteria. He also saw that when 

 the bacteria in the air could be prevented from entering the wound, 

 the wound would not suppurate nor give rise to blood-poisoning. 

 He then asked himself the question, how can these bacteria be 

 destroyed, or how can their fatal entrance into a wound be pre- 

 vented? In other words, how could we kill the bacteria and yet not 

 harm the patient? 



This was the problem and proposition. Its solution is antiseptic 

 surgery. Lister had heard of carbolic acid as a deodorizer. As such 

 he applied it, undiluted, to a compound fracture, with repeated 

 renewals. Watching with intense interest the application, he was 

 overjoyed to see that suppuration was almost entirely prevented 

 and so all fear of blood-poisoning and death removed. 



This was, practically, the discovery of antiseptics. A method for 

 preventing putrefaction was found, and in consequence aseptic 

 healing by gradual evolution and by modern improvements followed. 

 No one can measure the vast influence which this wonderful dis- 



