Antisepsis
Semmelweis, Lister and carbolic acid. Handwashing was resisted for decades because it implied doctors were carrying the thing that killed their patients, which is exactly what it implied.
Part of Medicine
68 moments in this segment.
- - Lave tes mains protocole. Hygienic hand washing protocol illustrated (in French). Dated 9, credited to Vorzinek. Antisepsis was resisted because it accused the surgeon's own hands, which is the part of the story that keeps recurring.
- - Semmelweiss Ignác dombormű a Pannon Kincstár épületében. Semmelweis Ignác dombormű a Pannon Kincstár épületében, Budapest, Váci u. Dated 1056, credited to 12akd. Ignaz Semmelweis introduced chlorinated lime handwashing at the Vienna General Hospital in mid-May 1847, and mortality in the First Clinic fell from 18.3 per cent that April to 1.2 per cent by July.
- - BLW Mermaid ewer and basin, V&A. Mermaid ewer and basin Hallmarked for 1610-1611 Silver, embossed and engraved Made in London, maker\'s mark of \'TB\' monogram, struck on upper face of flange of shell. Possibly made for Sir Thomas Wilson (1560-1619) A ewer and basin were used for the washing of hands during and after a meal. Dated 1560, credited to art_traveller. The equipment of asepsis is mostly about barriers and heat, and it replaced a practice built on chemical killing.
- - Semmelweis House. - Apród Street, Budapest. Late Baroque house, originally built around 1790, rebuilt after the 1810 Tabán fire. Listed building ID: 5. Dated 1790, credited to Globetrotter19. Ignaz Semmelweis introduced chlorinated lime handwashing at the Vienna General Hospital in mid-May 1847, and mortality in the First Clinic fell from 18.3 per cent that April to 1.2 per cent by July.
- - Yearly mortality rates 1833-1858. Puerperal fever yearly mortality rates at the Vienna Maternity Institution 1833-1858 for the First and Second obstetrical clinics. Period with Semmelweis' handwashing policy marked with red rectangle. Dated 1833, credited to Power.corrupts. Ignaz Semmelweis introduced chlorinated lime handwashing at the Vienna General Hospital in mid-May 1847, and mortality in the First Clinic fell from 18.3 per cent that April to 1.2 per cent by July.
- - Portrait of Joseph Lister - DPLA - c15104d8a0ee8ce239105aa5b1919a2c. Portrait photogravure of English surgeon and Baron Joseph Lister (1827-1912) based on a circa 1855 daguerreotype photograph when Lister was around age 28. Influenced by Louis Pasteur's (1822-1895) discoveries in microbiology, Lister became a pioneer of antiseptic surgery by using carbolic acid as an antiseptic. Dated 1855, credited to Walker, Emery, 1851-1933. Joseph Lister treated the compound fracture of James Greenlees with carbolic acid on 12 August 1865 and published in the Lancet across 1867 and 1868, building his method on Pasteur's germ theory.
- - Lister-type carbolic steam spray, England, 1869-1890. Joseph Lister (1827-1912) invented the carbolic acid spray in the belief that most infection-causing germs were in the air. The steam spray covered everyone and everything in the operating room or hospital ward with a vapour of carbolic acid or phenol, creating an antiseptic environment. Dated 1869 in the Commons record. Joseph Lister treated the compound fracture of James Greenlees with carbolic acid on 12 August 1865 and published in the Lancet across 1867 and 1868, building his method on Pasteur's germ theory.
- - Use of the Lister carbolic spray, Antiseptic surgery, 1882.. The image records use of the Lister carbolic spray. Wellcome Images. Dated 1882 in the Commons record. Joseph Lister treated the compound fracture of James Greenlees with carbolic acid on 12 August 1865 and published in the Lancet across 1867 and 1868, building his method on Pasteur's germ theory.
- - Ignaz Semmelweis' widow with her family. Ignaz Semmelweis' widow, Mária Weidenhofer (1837, 1910) with her family: her daughters, Margit (1861, 1928) and Antónia (1864, 1942), Antónia's husband, Kálmán Lehoczky sr. (1838, 1907) and their children, Mária Antónia (Marietta) Lehoczky (1894, 1919), Andor Lehoczky-Semmelweis (1885, 1970), Kálmán Lehoczky-Semmelweis, jr. Dated 1900, credited to Unknown author Unknown author. Ignaz Semmelweis introduced chlorinated lime handwashing at the Vienna General Hospital in mid-May 1847, and mortality in the First Clinic fell from 18.3 per cent that April to 1.2 per cent by July.
- - 1912 circa Jod-Tinkturflasche "Steril" nach Sanitätsrat Dr. Schmitz, DRGM. No. Die vom Deutschen Apothekerverein herausgegebene Zeitschrift Jahresbericht der Pharmazie schrieb in ihrem 1913 erschienen Almanach : „ Jodtinkturflasche "Steril" nach Sanitätsrat Dr. Die Jodtinkturflasche ist mit einem luftdicht eingeschliffenen Glaspinsel aus Glashaaren versehen. Dated 1912, credited to Bernd Schwabe. Steam sterilisation under pressure replaced the antiseptic spray, moving the practice from killing germs in the wound to keeping them out of it.
- - Listerine ad 1926-12. Vintage advertisement for Listerine, printed in the December 1926 issue of The Elks Magazine. The ad depicts a photograph of a young boy with a sore throat being checked up on by a general practitioner. Dated 1926, credited to Lambert Pharmacal Company. Cleanliness became a technical procedure with steps, timings and equipment rather than a matter of personal habit.
- - Aseptic operating theatre technique (1933), pt 1 of 2. Wellcome Library traces Aseptic operating theatre technique (1933), pt 1 of 2, on material dated 1933. What it offers is soap, steam and the sterile field.
- - Aseptic operating theatre technique (1933), pt 2 of 2. Wellcome Library traces Aseptic operating theatre technique (1933), pt 2 of 2, on material dated 1933. What it offers is why the ward had to be redesigned.
- - "Wash your hands before touching your eyes" - NARA - 516048. Poster of a raccoon with one paw in a lake, with the caption "Wash your hands before touching your eyes". Dated 1941 in the Commons record. Carbolic was harsh on tissue and worse on the hands using it, which limited the method it made possible.
- - Children washing their hands at a war time nursery at the General Engineering Company (Canada). The image records children washing their hands at a war time nursery at the General Engineering Company (Canada) munitions factory. Dated 1943 in the Commons record. The mask, gown and cap arrived piecemeal, each one added after an argument.
- - Pharmacy-bottle-jugenstil-3 hg. Apothecary bottle from the early 20th century (Art Nouveau). Dated 1950, credited to Hannes Grobe. Hospital-acquired infection was the central problem of nineteenth-century surgery and it has never fully gone away.
- - FEMA - 24790 - Photograph by Andrea Booher taken on 10-29-2005 in Louisiana. Algiers, LA., 10/29/2005 -- A rescue worker washing his hands at a line of sinks at a base camp bathroom. Base camps were set up in various locations around New Orleans for rescue workers and volunteers needing housing following Hurricane Katrina. Dated 2005, credited to Andrea Booher. Instrument design changed to suit sterilisation, losing the crevices, joints and porous handles that trapped material.
- - GHWWS special. An object held in the antisepsis material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2008, credited to Serenity. Ward routine absorbed antisepsis as cleaning schedules long before the theory was settled.
- - Joseph Lister: Surgery Transformed. The BMJ documents Joseph Lister: Surgery Transformed, published in 2009. Filed as the ward reorganised around the germ.
- - Gauze in medical useage - wound. An object held in the antisepsis material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2009, credited to User:Mattes. Antisepsis was resisted because it accused the surgeon's own hands, which is the part of the story that keeps recurring.
- - Kirwa Primary School Handwashing Facility - Installation pour le lavage des mains à l'école pri. The model of handwashing facility in Kirwa primary school. It is installed on the wall of classroom. Dated 2009, credited to Photo taken by: E. Dusingizumuremyi, SuSanA Secretariat. The equipment of asepsis is mostly about barriers and heat, and it replaced a practice built on chemical killing.
- - Autoclave Prestige Medical Omega from top. Prestige Medical Omega Autoclave, class N. Dated 2010, credited to Juan de Vojníkov. Steam sterilisation under pressure replaced the antiseptic spray, moving the practice from killing germs in the wound to keeping them out of it.
- - Hand washing instructions sign. A sign, illustrated with graphics, showing the proper method of washing hands. I took this photo in the bathroom of a museum in Arlington, Virginia. Dated 2010, credited to BurtAlert. Cleanliness became a technical procedure with steps, timings and equipment rather than a matter of personal habit.
- - Phenol. The image records phenol,rötlicher Farbton durch Verunreinigungen. Dated 2011, credited to Bahmtec. Carbolic was harsh on tissue and worse on the hands using it, which limited the method it made possible.
- - Kesseltransport vor Koningsbosch I. Schwertransport mit einem Anlagenbauteil unterwegs von Eschweiler bei Aachen zum Maashafen in Echt (NL) zwecks Verladung auf Binnenschiff zum Weitertransport zur BASF in Ludwigshafen. Die Gesamtlänge des Schwertransportes beträgt rund 83 m. Dated 2011, credited to Alupus. The mask, gown and cap arrived piecemeal, each one added after an argument.
- - How to use the handwashing station. The image records how to use the handwashing station (5981879247). Dated 2011, credited to C.Rieck, SuSanA Secretariat. Hospital-acquired infection was the central problem of nineteenth-century surgery and it has never fully gone away.
- - Defense.gov photo essay 110421-N-ET173-114. Danna Convoy teaches children how to properly wash their hands during a Continuing Promise community event at Harbor View Primary School in Kingsotn, Jamaica, April 21, 2011. Dated 2011, credited to Staff Sgt. Alesia D. Goosic. Instrument design changed to suit sterilisation, losing the crevices, joints and porous handles that trapped material.
- - Handwashing Promotion in Low-Income Countries. Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment documents Handwashing Promotion in Low-Income Countries, published in 2013. The record it provides is the ward reorganised around the germ.
- - See how hospitals clean medical devices. Sunnybrook Hospital presents See how hospitals clean medical devices, published in 2015. This is sterilisation as equipment and as routine.
- - Cemoro-Lawang Indonesia Laundry-01. Cemoro Lawang, East Java, Indonesia: An old woman is doing the laundry in the yard of a rural house. The walls are made of bamboo wattle work. Dated 2015, credited to CEphoto, Uwe Aranas. Ward routine absorbed antisepsis as cleaning schedules long before the theory was settled.
- - See your hands: surgical hygiene saves lives. WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region examines See your hands: surgical hygiene saves lives, published in 2016. Carried for the invisible enemy and the routine built against it.
- - Example of Pressure Reactor. Buchiglasuster Versoclave rated 300C and 60 bar. Dated 2016, credited to Rudyher27. Antisepsis was resisted because it accused the surgeon's own hands, which is the part of the story that keeps recurring.
- - WWL Surgical Scrub and Gowning -A Step by Step Guide. wwlnhs presents WWL Surgical Scrub and Gowning -A Step by Step Guide, published in 2017. Kept as sterilisation as equipment and as routine.
- - Jewish ritual handwashing at sink. Hands of a person performing Jewish ritual handwashing at a sink. Original tags: hand, water, food, ceramic, washing, religion, sink, breakfast, baking, pottery, dessert, religious, art, icing, tradition, fondant, jerusalem, israel, ritual, torah, jewish, judaism, jews, ritual washing in judaism. Dated 2017, credited to PxHere. The equipment of asepsis is mostly about barriers and heat, and it replaced a practice built on chemical killing.
- - Why Do We Wash Our Hands After Going to the Bathroom?. PBS Origins records Why Do We Wash Our Hands After Going to the Bathroom?, published in 2018. What it offers is cleanliness rebuilt as a technical discipline.
- - 'It's in your hands - prevent sepsis in health care' A 5 May 2018 advocacy message from WHO. World Health Organization examines 'It's in your hands - prevent sepsis in health care' A 5 May 2018 advocacy message from WHO, published in 2018. It belongs here as the invisible enemy and the routine built against it.
- - Anatomical Surgical Hand Scrub. Johns Hopkins Medicine examines Anatomical Surgical Hand Scrub, published in 2018. Included as the invisible enemy and the routine built against it.
- - Sterilization Technique | Moist Heat Sterilization By Autoclave | Autoclave Working Principle. Solution surveys Sterilization Technique, published in 2019. Its place in the archive is infection control as measurable procedure.
- - Why is Hand Hygiene so important?. NIH Clinical Center examines Why is Hand Hygiene so important?, published in 2019. The record it provides is the invisible enemy and the routine built against it.
- - A boy washes his hands inside a rockpuddle. A young boy sits to wash his hands after rainwater has collected in a rock which lies West of Kenya. Welcome to the jungle! Dated 2019, credited to Niking.n.n. Cleanliness became a technical procedure with steps, timings and equipment rather than a matter of personal habit.
- - Proper Surgical Hand Rub. Johns Hopkins Medicine covers Proper Surgical Hand Rub, published in 2020. It sits in the archive as why the ward had to be redesigned.
- - Tales From Surgeons' Hall: Carbolic Acid. Surgeons' Hall Museums covers Tales From Surgeons' Hall: Carbolic Acid, published in 2020. Kept as why the ward had to be redesigned.
- - WHO 2020 Hand Hygiene Campaign – Nurses and Midwives, clean care is in your hands!. World Health Organization sets out WHO 2020 Hand Hygiene Campaign – Nurses and Midwives, clean care is in your hands!, published in 2020. Filed as hand hygiene as measurable practice.
- - World Hand Hygiene Day 2020: Nurses and midwives, clean care is in your hands!. WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region covers World Hand Hygiene Day 2020: Nurses and midwives, clean care is in your hands!, published in 2020. Included as why the ward had to be redesigned.
- - The surprising history of hand-washing - BBC REEL. BBC Global sets out The surprising history of hand-washing - BBC REEL, published in 2020. The value here is hand hygiene as measurable practice.
- - Wash your hands -2 watermark. An object held in the antisepsis material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2020, credited to Sarashakeel. Carbolic was harsh on tissue and worse on the hands using it, which limited the method it made possible.
- - Blue Mountains under Covid-19, hand washing station. Notes: the effects of covid-19 in the Blue Mountains Format: colour digital photograph Date Range: 2020 Licensing: Attribution, share alike, creative commons. Repository: Blue Mountains City Library bmcc.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/default/ Part of: Local Studies Collection Provenance: photo by John Merriman Links: www.bmcc.nsw.gov.au/coronavirus. Dated 2020, credited to Blue Mountains Library. The mask, gown and cap arrived piecemeal, each one added after an argument.
- - Hand wash sink. Welded steel sink for a seamless transition to a steel worktop. Dated 2020, credited to Onegspls. Hospital-acquired infection was the central problem of nineteenth-century surgery and it has never fully gone away.
- - Know about the Infection Control Practices Adopted Today | Apollo Hospitals. Apollo Hospitals records Know about the Infection Control Practices Adopted Today, published in 2020. Carried for cleanliness rebuilt as a technical discipline.
- - Antiseptic techniques: To clean or not to clean?. Demystifying Medicine McMaster covers Antiseptic techniques: To clean or not to clean?, published in 2020. It sits in the archive as infection control as measurable procedure.
- - Buck v Bell (1927): Supreme Court Cases | Academy 4 Social Change. Academy 4 Social Civics covers Buck v Bell (1927): Supreme Court Cases, on material dated 1927. This is why the ward had to be redesigned.
- - WHO World Hand Hygiene Day 2021: Campaign slogan and calls to action. World Health Organization traces WHO World Hand Hygiene Day 2021: Campaign slogan and calls to action, published in 2021. Carried for soap, steam and the sterile field.
- - Infection Control Diploma Free Lecture 3 - Surgical Site Infection - IMETS ACADEMY. IMETS Medical School – Healthcare Quality sets out Infection Control Diploma Free Lecture 3 - Surgical Site Infection - IMETS ACADEMY, published in 2021. Filed as the invisible enemy and the routine built against it.
- - Antiseptics - GCSE History. The A surveys Antiseptics - GCSE History, published in 2021. Held for infection control as measurable procedure.
- - A touchless handwashing tap and solid bar soap dispenser kit. This is an image with the theme " Health and Wellness in Africa " from:. Dated 2021, credited to Wabyona Bingi. Instrument design changed to suit sterilisation, losing the crevices, joints and porous handles that trapped material.
- - Sanitising station at church. This is an image with the theme " Health and Wellness in Africa " from:. Dated 2021, credited to EliannahK. Ward routine absorbed antisepsis as cleaning schedules long before the theory was settled.
- - AbultionLacLeman. An object held in the antisepsis material of the free record, catalogued on Wikimedia Commons. Dated 2022, credited to Zarathustra official. Antisepsis was resisted because it accused the surgeon's own hands, which is the part of the story that keeps recurring.
- - If This Sterilizer Could Talk: Public Health, Milk and Museum Artifacts. Laupus Library traces If This Sterilizer Could Talk: Public Health, Milk and Museum Artifacts, published in 2023. Its place in the archive is why the ward had to be redesigned.
- - Batam de l'IFA. Réception du bâtiment administratif de l'IFA. Dated 2023, credited to MauriceAlpha. The equipment of asepsis is mostly about barriers and heat, and it replaced a practice built on chemical killing.
- - Automatic hand-washing station at Pittsburgh International Airport. This is an automatic hand-washing station at Pittsburgh International Airport which allows users to wash their hands automatically. Users insert hands into the designated slots, and an automated cycle runs for washing their hands. Dated 2024, credited to Rsparks3. Cleanliness became a technical procedure with steps, timings and equipment rather than a matter of personal habit.
- - Accidental Invention: How a Nurse Inspired Medical Gloves | UnFortuity. Invented & Inspired examines Accidental Invention: How a Nurse Inspired Medical Gloves, published in 2025. The record it provides is soap, steam and the sterile field.
- - The Invisible Challenge II – Spread of bacteria in hospital settings. Folkehelseinstituttet documents The Invisible Challenge II – Spread of bacteria in hospital settings, published in 2025. Carried for the ward reorganised around the germ.
- - The Invention of Surgical Gloves. Indian Institute of Fitness Courses sets out The Invention of Surgical Gloves, published in 2025. Carried for hand hygiene as measurable practice.
- - Why Were Premature Babies Displayed at Country Fairs (For 50¢). Nucleobit surveys Why Were Premature Babies Displayed at Country Fairs (For 50¢), published in 2025. Held for cleanliness rebuilt as a technical discipline.
- - Germ Theory & Antisepsis | How Pasteur, Koch, and Lister Revolutionized Medicine. Medicine & Meaning presents Germ Theory & Antisepsis, published in 2026. It sits in the archive as sterilisation as equipment and as routine.
- - He Cut Hospital Deaths By 90%. They Locked Him in an Asylum.. The Untold Archive traces He Cut Hospital Deaths By 90%. They Locked Him in an Asylum, published in 2026. Its place in the archive is soap, steam and the sterile field.
- - Aseptic Technique, Sterilization, and Microbiology Review Lecture ST255. Surgical Tech Review sets out Aseptic Technique, Sterilization, and Microbiology Review Lecture ST255, published in 2026. Its place in the archive is the invisible enemy and the routine built against it.
- - When Doctors Refused to Wash Their Hands | Ignaz Semmelweis. Archives of the Centuries documents When Doctors Refused to Wash Their Hands, published in 2026. Kept as the ward reorganised around the germ.