Fix this text
The Bookfellow
Fix this textTHE AUSTRALASIAN REVIEW.
Fix this textN.S.W. EDITION.
Fix this textNEW SERIES.—MONTHLY.-Vol. 11, No. 10.
Fix this textOCTOBER 15, 1913.
Fix this textSIX SHILLINGS A YEAR
Fix this textRegistered at the General Post Office, Sydney, for transmission by post as a newspaper.
Fix this textSingle Copy 6d.
Fix this textREVIEWS.
Fix this textLORD LISTER: His Life and
Fix this textWork
Fix this textby G. T. Wrench.
Fix this textT. Fisher Unwin ; 15s. net.
Fix this textJoseph Lister, “founder of modern
Fix this textsurgery,” a man whose science and
Fix this textpractice rank him as a benefactor of
Fix this texthumanity, was born at London in 1827.
Fix this textHe died last year. The story of his
Fix this textdeeds is fascinating. He saved, as a
Fix this textdirect consequence of his teaching, more
Fix this textlives than Attila slew; and “many gene-
Fix this textrations shall call him blessed.”
Fix this textThe Greatest of Surgeons
Fix this textThe changes which Lister caused in
Fix this textthe system of treating wounds and dis-
Fix this texteases are so revolutionary that hospital
Fix this textsurgery may be divided historically into
Fix this texttwo epochs—“before” and “after” Lis-
Fix this textter. Upon the road which, with Pasteur’s
Fix this textdiscovery for axe, he hewed through the
Fix this textwilderness of prejudice and ignorance,
Fix this textall may now run. The marvel of the
Fix this text19th century is a commonplace to-day.
Fix this textDoubtless, sooner or later, other quest-
Fix this texting inquirers would have seen the surgi-
Fix this textcal application of Pasteur’s work. But
Fix this textLister blazed the track.
Fix this textBefore Lister’s discovery of antisepsis,
Fix this textwounded patients in hospitals, all the
Fix this textworld over, were more likely to die
Fix this textthan to live. “Every wound discharged
Fix this textpus freely, and putrefactive changes
Fix this textoccurred in the discharges of all”;
Fix this text“secondary haemorrhage, tetanus, ery-
Fix this textsipelas, septicaemia, pyaemia, and hos-
Fix this textpital gangrene were never all absent
Fix this textfrom the hospital wards, and at times
Fix this textpyaemia and hospital gangrene became
Fix this textalarmingly epidemic.” There was “in
Fix this textthe atmosphere of every surgical ward,
Fix this textno matter how well ventilated, a foetid
Fix this textsickening odour” from putrefying flesh.
Fix this textWherever, as in a case of compound
Fix this textfracture, the skin was broken, the chance
Fix this textof recovery was small. “Must hospital
Fix this textsurgeons,” it was asked, “ever remain
Fix this textcontent with losing one-third to one-
Fix this texthalf of all their amputation cases, and
Fix this textnine-tenths of some ?”
Fix this textA Practical Philosopher
Fix this textTrained as a surgeon, Lister made ex-
Fix this textperiments on the life of flesh-tissues.
Fix this textHe appreciated the fact that a wound
Fix this textdestroys cell-life and tends to lower
Fix this textthe vitality of cells in proximity to the
Fix this textwound. He argued that if the original
Fix this textvitality of wounded cells could be pre-
Fix this textserved or reinforced, or if some protec-
Fix this texttion analogous to the protection given
Fix this textby the skin could be afforded to a
Fix this textwound, wounds might heal without
Fix this textimpediment.
Fix this textAt the crisis of Lister’s investigation,
Fix this textPasteur showed that putrefaction was
Fix this textcaused by living germs floating by myri-
Fix this textads in the common air. Lister had a
Fix this textvision of these germs fastening upon
Fix this textthe wounded cell-tissues and causing the
Fix this textdestructive changes which led finally to
Fix this textthe agonising death of a patient. He
Fix this textsought for some remedy to combat the
Fix this textassault, and found it in carbolic acid.
Fix this textUnder treatment with diluted carbolic
Fix this textacid, wounds healed without suppura-
Fix this texttion. He called his method of treat-
Fix this textment antisepsis, “against putrefaction,”
Fix this textimproved his practice, confirmed his
Fix this textresults, and gave his discovery to the
Fix this textmedical world. Dr. Wrench tells the
Fix this textstory in a book of absorbing interest to
Fix this textmedical and lay readers.
Fix this textOld Surgery and New
Fix this text“The extreme cleanliness that now
Fix this textdistinguishes the doctor is the outcome
Fix this textof Lister’s discoveries and proof of the
Fix this textvalue of cleanliness. But before Lister
Fix this textthe doctor paid no more heed to cleanli-
Fix this textness than any other man. Indeed, he
Fix this textoften paid less, for what would not be
Fix this textoffensive to him owing to familiarity
Fix this textwas offensive to other men. Before an
Fix this textoperation the surgeon would turn up
Fix this textthe sleeves of his coat to save the coat,
Fix this textand would often not trouble to wash his
Fix this texthands, knowing how stained they would
Fix this textbe. The area of the operation would
Fix this textsometimes be washed with soap and
Fix this textwater, but this was not invariable, for
Fix this textthe inevitability of corruption made any
Fix this textelaboration of cleanliness appear farci-
Fix this textcal. The silk or thread used for stitches
Fix this textand ligatures was hung over the button
Fix this textof the surgeon’s coat, and during the
Fix this textoperation a convenient place for the
Fix this textknife to rest was between his lips. The
Fix this textinstruments were washed after the
Fix this textoperation with soap and water and put
Fix this textaway, but the instruments used for
Fix this textdressing wounds or lancing abscesses
Fix this textwere kept in the vest pocket, and often
Fix this textonly wiped with a towel or a piece of
Fix this textrag as the surgeon or ? dresser moved
Fix this textfrom patient to patient.
Fix this textLister in 1861 was Professor of
Fix this textClinical Surgery in the University of
Fix this textGlasgow, and a surgeon of the Glasgow
Fix this textInfirmary. “He introduced into his
Fix this textwards a scrupulous cleanliness. Dressers,
Fix this textnurses, and house-surgeons were made
Fix this textto wash their hands frequently when
Fix this textassisting at operations or dressing
Fix this textwounds. Abundant clean towels had to
Fix this textbe provided. Frequent fresh clean
Fix this textdressings were applied to suppurating
Fix this textwounds. Deodorant fluids were lavishly
Fix this textapplied. The members of the lay com-
Fix this textmittee expostulated at this extravagance
Fix this textin the cause of cleanliness.”
Fix this textThe use of carbolic acid as a deodor-
Fix this textant and to some extent as an antiseptic
Fix this texthad been made before Lister. It was
Fix this textLister who first applied it systematic-
Fix this textally, with an understanding of the
Fix this textprinciple of its use. His success was
Fix this textimmediate.. His patients recovered; the
Fix this textfoul odour left his hospital ward. Other
Fix this textsurgeons gradually applied his method;
Fix this textyet for years it met astonishing opposi-
Fix this texttion, particularly in London. Dr. Wrench
Fix this textsays:
Fix this textProfessional Opposition to Lister
Fix this text“The record of London surgeons in
Fix this textthese first years of the unfolding of
Fix this textLister’s doctrine was, indeed, a miser-
Fix this textable one of jealousy and arrogance. The
Fix this textprovinces, Ireland and Scotland, had
Fix this textcome forward, not in great numbers it is
Fix this texttrue, to bear testimony to the human
Fix this textvalue of antisepsis. The London medi-
Fix this textcal world, however, possessed the Lon-
Fix this textdon characteristic of haughty indifference
Fix this textto anything it had to accept humbly
Fix this textfrom without. Secure in the pride of
Fix this textsize, London then, as now, only showed
Fix this textfavour to the gifted when by their ser-
Fix this textvice and their presence they acknow-
Fix this textledged her pre-eminence and added to
Fix this texther hereditary grandeur. It was for
Fix this textmerit to come to London and sue her
Fix this textfavour and patronage, and not for Lon-
Fix this textdon to bend humbly in service and
Fix this textloyalty to merit, however great it might
Fix this textbe. The surgeons and hospital staffs of
Fix this textthe London hospitals were clothed with
Fix this textthis peculiar spirit. Until Lister him-
Fix this textself came and took up his work in Lon-
Fix this textdon, London surgeons seemed to be
Fix this textbarricaded against his truths by an
Fix this textalmost monstrous conceit.”
Fix this textIt's easy and takes two shakes of a lamb's tail!
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(1911). The bookfellow : the Australasian review and journal of the Australasian book trade Retrieved July 30, 2025, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-842966617
The bookfellow : the Australasian review and journal of the Australasian book trade Sydney: Bookfellow, 1911. Web. 30 July 2025 <http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-842966617>
1911, The bookfellow : the Australasian review and journal of the Australasian book trade Bookfellow, Sydney viewed 30 July 2025 http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-842966617
{{Citation
|
| title=The bookfellow : the Australasian review and journal of the Australasian book trade.
| year=1911
| section=v. ; 32 cm.
| edition=Trade ed.
| issue=Vol. 2 No. 10 (15 October 1913)
| location=Sydney
| publisher=Bookfellow
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-842966617
| id=nla.obj-842966617
| access-date=30 July 2025
| via=Trove
}}
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