There is perhaps little better time to acknowledge the advancement of antiseptic procedure than the anniversary of the famous paper published by Dr. Lister on July 27, 1867.

Although antisepsis was recommended as early as 1847 by the Hungarian doctor, Ignaz Semmelweis, it was largely ignored.  Following Louis Pasteur’s germ theory of putrefaction, Lister published his paper advocating the use of carbolic acid as a method of killing off bad germs present during surgery.

This important paper may be read here:

http://www.bartleby.com/38/6/1.html

Or listened to in audiobook format here: