6. rev significance of Listers work in medicine

Question 1

What key development did Joseph Lister introduce?

Answer 1

Antiseptic surgery.

Question 2

What was the main deadly problem in surgery before Lister?

Answer 2

Infection during operations.

Question 3

What incorrect beliefs did people have about the cause of infection before Lister?

Answer 3

Miasma (bad air) or spontaneous generation.

Question 4

Whose scientific theory inspired Lister’s work?

Answer 4

Pasteur’s Germ Theory.

Question 5

What was the immediate impact of Lister’s understanding of germs in surgery?

Answer 5

A shift in thinking from ‘bad air’ to concrete, scientific germs as the enemy.

Question 6

What chemical did Lister use for his antiseptic techniques?

Answer 6

Carbolic acid (phenol).

Question 7

What was the short-term impact of Lister’s methods on death rates?

Answer 7

A dramatic drop in death rates from infection in his wards (e.g., at Glasgow Royal Infirmary).

Question 8

What did Lister’s success immediately prove?

Answer 8

The practical importance of Germ Theory in a medical setting.

Question 9

What was the long-term impact of Lister’s innovations on surgical practice worldwide?

Answer 9

It led to the widespread adoption of sterile environments, instruments, and practices in operating theatres.

Question 10

How does Lister’s work still impact healthcare today?

Answer 10

It’s the standard for sterile surgery, allowing for complex operations and saving countless lives.