Usage in Surgery
The widespread introduction of antiseptic surgical methods followed the publishing of the paper Antiseptic Principle of the Practice of Surgery in 1867 by Joseph Lister, inspired by Louis Pasteur's germ theory of putrefaction. In this paper, Lister advocated the use of carbolic acid (phenol) as a method of ensuring that any germs present were killed. Some of this work was anticipated by:
- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., who published The Contagiousness of Puerperal Fever in 1843.
- Ignaz Semmelweis, who published his work The Cause, Concept and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever in 1861, summarizing experiments and observations since 1847.
- Florence Nightingale, who contributed substantially to the report on the Royal Commission on the Health of the Army (1856–1857), based on her earlier work.
- George H. Tichenor, who experimented with the use of alcohol on wounds c. 1861–1863 during the American Civil War.
- Ancient Greek physicians Galen (c. 130–200 C.E.) and Hippocrates (c. 400 B.C.E.) and Sumerian clay tablets dating from 2,150 B.C.E. that advocate the use of similar techniques.
Every antiseptic, however good, is more or less toxic and irritating to a wounded surface; as a result, in surgery, the antiseptic method has been replaced by aseptic method, which is preventative in nature and relies on keeping free from the invasion of bacteria rather than destroying them when present.
Read more about this topic: Antiseptic
Famous quotes containing the words usage and/or surgery:
“...Often the accurate answer to a usage question begins, “It depends.” And what it depends on most often is where you are, who you are, who your listeners or readers are, and what your purpose in speaking or writing is.”
—Kenneth G. Wilson (b. 1923)
“It is difficult for me to imagine the same dedication to women’s rights on the part of the kind of man who lives in partnership with someone he likes and respects, and the kind of man who considers breast-augmentation surgery self-improvement.”
—Anna Quindlen (b. 1952)