1) On a new method of treating compound fracture, abscess, etc., with observations on the conditions of suppuration. (2) On the antiseptic principle in the practice of surgery

Lister, Joseph

Published by London, 1867

About this Item

Lister, Joseph (1827-1912). (1) On a new method of treating compound fracture, abscess, etc., with observations on the conditions of suppuration. In Lancet 1 (1867): 327-329, 357-359, 387-389, 507-509; 2 (1867): 95-96. (2) On the antiseptic principle in the practice of surgery. In Lancet 2 (1867): 353-356. Together 2 volumes. 270 x 188 mm. Modern half calf, marbled boards. Fine. First Editions. As head of the surgical wards at Glasgow's Royal Infirmary, Lister was appalled by the forty percent mortality rate among surgical patients, most of it caused by gangrene, erysipelas, septicemia and other post-operative infections. After studying this problem he came to believe that wound suppuration was a form of putrefaction and was confirmed in his belief by the writings of Pasteur, who had recently proved that putrefaction was a fermentative process caused by living microorganisms. Lister adopted carbolic acid as a weapon against microorganisms after learning of its efficacy in sewage treatment and used it in eleven cases of compound fracture, nine of which recovered. He then applied his antiseptic techniques to the treatment of abscesses with similar success. Lister described his remarkable achievements in his classic series of reports, "On a new method of treating compound fracture," his first work on the antiseptic principle in surgery. The reports include two novel observations on the healing capacities of tissues protected from infection: first, that a carbolized blood clot becomes organized into living tissue by ingrowth of surrounding cells and blood vessels; and second, that portions of dead bone in an aseptic wound are absorbed by adjacent granulation tissue. In "On the antiseptic principle in the practice of surgery," Lister gladly acknowledged his debt to the writings of Pasteur, which had revealed to him both the causes of wound sepsis and the key to their elimination from hospitals. Garrison-Morton.com 5634, 5635. Printing and the Mind of Man 316c. Bookseller Inventory # 43710

Bibliographic Details

Title: 1) On a new method of treating compound ...

Publisher: London

Publication Date: 1867

Binding: Hardcover