Joseph Lister in the Archives – “The Father of antiseptic surgery”

“Joseph Lister (1827-1912)” by Charles Kay Robertson. Courtesy of the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

In the mid 19^th Century it was highly possible that you would survive an operation, only to die from a post-operative infection. Ether had been first introduced as an anaesthetic in surgery in 1846, reducing the chances of patients dying of pain or shock, but the risk of post-operative death was still significant. Ignaz Semmelweiss identified the effectiveness of hand washing in reducing the mortality rate of new mothers in 1846 and Louis Pasteur introduced his “germ theory of disease” in 1862, but it was Joseph Lister in 1865 who introduced the concept of antisepsis in surgery.

An example of Lister’s notes on his experiments.

Lister built on Pasteur’s work on invisible germs and developed procedures for using chemicals to destroy the germs causing infections. He introduced carbolic hand washes for surgical staff, carbolic acid baths for instruments and carbolic acid spray to reduce the level of germs in the air. In just three years Lister reduced the death rate in his patients from 47% to 15%.

Joseph Lister’s antiseptic steam spray producer, by Marr, London, c. 1878. Courtesy of the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Despite initial resistance from some who didn’t accept his view that germs caused infection and felt that his procedures slowed surgery down when speed was of the essence, news of his work spread and doctors from all over the world travelled to see him operate. Lister’s work laid the foundation for modern surgical practice. By emphasising the importance of cleanliness and sterilisation, he contributed to the creation of sterile environments in operating theatres.

Lister’s Fellowship Certificate from the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

After qualifying in London at UCL, and gaining both his MRCS and FRCS in 1852, Lister moved to Edinburgh and started to assist the surgeon James Syme. Lister was then appointed as a lecturer at Edinburgh University in 1854 and subsequently Assistant Surgeon at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in 1856.

Examples of the lecture notes Lister wrote in preparation for teaching.

In January 1860, Lister was appointed Professor of Surgery at the University of Glasgow, although it was October 1861 before he was given a position at Glasgow Royal Infirmary that allowed him to operate. In 1869 Lister returned to Edinburgh to replace Syme as Professor of Surgery at Edinburgh University. In 1877 Lister was offered the chair of Clinical Surgery at King’s College, giving him the opportunity to demonstrate to the London medical community the importance and effectiveness of his germ theory and “carbolic treatment”.

Lister retired from surgical practice in 1893. Having already been made a Baronet in 1883, he was elevated to Baron Lister of Lyme Regis in 1897 and was one of the original 12 members of the Order of Merit in 1902.

The letter from Prime Minister Gladstone offering Lister a Baronetcy.

Lister was a Member of Council at the Royal College of Surgeons of England from 1880 – 1888, serving as Vice-President in 1886 but declined to be nominated for President. In 1897 he was given the Honorary Gold Medal, the highest distinction the College can give to Members and Fellows.

On his death in 1912, Lister made provision in his will for his papers to be donated to the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Recorded in the Council Minutes is a letter from the executors of his will explaining Lister’s wishes that two of his nephews sort through and catalogue his work papers before they were donated to the College.

Stamps issued to commemorate a hundred years of antiseptic surgery.

Whilst most of the Lister Collection held at RCS England came directly from Lister himself, some items have been donated by others. It is a rich and varied collection, covering his work and his wider life.

The collection contains correspondence (including letters from Louis Pasteur), lecture notes, records of his experiments, case notes, drawings and sketches, four handwritten commonplace books recording his work and books of congratulations on the events of his 80^th birthday and of his elevation to the peerage. A particularly touching item in the collection is a petition put together by his students in Edinburgh asking him not to move to London.

Pages from one of Lister’s Commonplace Books, documenting his experiments.

Also included in the collection are the “Lister Rolls”. These are the 19^th Century equivalent of today’s PowerPoint – used by Hunter to illustrate his lectures. The collection holds six rolls, varying in length from 1 metre to almost 10 metres. Drawn, we believe, by Lister and his wife Agnes (a trained botanist), they show the bacteria that Lister was viewing through his microscope in differing environments, including milk, turnip infusion and urine.

One of the Lister Rolls “Bacterium No 1”.

The full catalogue can be accessed in SurgiCat. If you would like to make an appointment to view any of the Lister material, please email us at archives@rcseng.ac.uk. Please note that due to their size and fragility, the Lister rolls are not always available to be viewed.

In a series of two blog posts published this February around the anniversary of Lister's death (10 February 1927), we explore the Joseph Lister Archive and Library collections at The Royal College of Surgeons. In addition to this article on archive holdings, you might like to read our article on library holdings.

Georgina Thompson, Assistant Archivist.