Joseph Lister

The progress of medicine is a testament to the power of human intellect and compassion.

I hope that my work will inspire others to pursue scientific research.

Let us embrace innovation and challenge the status quo.

The pursuit of excellence should be our constant aim.

I have dedicated my life to the advancement of surgery.

The benefits of antiseptic surgery are now widely recognized.

I am confident that the future of surgery is bright.

Gentlemen, if you wish to succeed in practice, you must learn to wash your hands. It is a simple truth, but one that seems to elude many of you.

I have been accused of being a fanatic about cleanliness. I confess, I am a fanatic about saving lives.

It is a curious thing, how much resistance there is to the simple act of preventing death.

Some of my colleagues seem to believe that dirt is a necessary ingredient for a successful operation. I beg to differ.

The greatest obstacle to progress is not ignorance, but the illusion of knowledge.

I have found that a little carbolic acid goes a long way, especially when applied to the hands of a surgeon.

To those who doubt the efficacy of antiseptics, I offer my patients as evidence. They are, for the most part, still alive.

It seems some surgeons prefer to operate in a cloud of miasma, rather than a cloud of carbolic spray.

I am not suggesting that you become a laundress, gentlemen, merely that you adopt some of their more sensible habits.

The germ theory, like a good wine, improves with age, and with a proper application of disinfectant.

One might think that the sight of a patient recovering without sepsis would be convincing enough. Apparently not.

My methods are simple, effective, and, I might add, rather less dramatic than the alternative.

I have no doubt that future generations will look back on our current surgical practices with a mixture of horror and amusement.