" THE STORY OF DR. LISTER " 1963 WARNER-LAMBERT CO. EDUCATIONAL FILM CARBOLIC ACID ANTISEPTIC 48204

Poor man! Are you hurt, my lad? Look, it's the lad who's been... Just a wee bruise in the leg. I'll be all right soon enough. It's more than that, ma'am. The bone's broke. We'd better shift you into that shop for buy and get you a doctor. No, no, no. I'll take him to Sir James Syme at the Royal Infirmary. Sir, I cannot afford him. Oh, don't worry, don't worry. I'm a member of the infirmary board. Now, I'll lend a hand, you men, and put him back in the drain. Did you hear them say the bone had broken the skin? He could either lose his leg or... What usually happens when you have to have surgery. Oh, he gives me the shivers. Now, if you'll kindly tell Sir James Syme that we're here. I'm sorry, Your Lordship. Sir James hasn't arrived yet. But the Chief will take care of the man immediately. Chief? Dr. Lister, sir. He's Sir James' assistant at his private operations and also here in the infirmary. He's one of the best. Will you excuse me if I get ready for him? No, of course. Well, I hope this fellow Lister knows what he's about. Must be English by his name. He was sent to James by Dr. William Sharpie in London after completing his fellowship at the Royal College of Surgeons there. How on earth do you know all this? From Ag's daughter. She says he's brilliant and she also says he's very attractive. And just what effect do you think his looks are going to have on a broken leg? None whatever. They've certainly had an effect upon Agnes. I don't want to miss a chance of seeing him. I'm Joseph Lister. It was kindly to wait so long. Is the patient one of your servants? No, we happened to be there when the accident occurred and thought the man should be attended to without delay. That was most thoughtful and wise. But he'll be all right, won't he? Simple fractures are not serious. But our patient's fracture is compound. The flesh is lacerated and the skin broken. I've set his leg and dressed it. But often in such cases, septic infection. A poisoning of the blood develops in the wound. When that happens, there's very little we can do but hope. Still, there are treatments. Yes, and not one of them is effective. We keep trying, but it's like groping in the dark. There's so much we do not know. Under Lister's supervision, the injured drayman received the best medical attention that the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary had to offer. And even Sir James Syme, the famous surgeon, took an interest in the case. No fever. No inflammation. How do you feel, MacTavish? I'm telling you, if you wasn't looking and that nurse was a wee bit bonnier, she'd have to run for her life. So far, good. Looks as if we might count on this one. Sir, you said to let you know at once if... I'll come immediately. Infection, sir? Infection. I hope you will understand, Agnes, why I must leave now. But I have two lectures to prepare for my students and a very important letter to write my father. I think we can find it in our hearts to forgive you this time. Can't we, Father? Of course, my boy. Thank you for your hospitality, sir. Lady Glenmuir, Lord Glenmuir, Sir James. Tomorrow, Joseph. Now, run along and let the ladies have their coffee. Your Beth seems a bit quiet tonight. Has something troubled her the other day? Beth was terribly... ...everything I could possibly have done. Once the murderous infection starts, there's nothing anyone can do to prevent it. But what causes it, James? After all these years, the medical profession should have some idea. There are dozens of ideas. Poison in the air, miasma, vapor of some sort. Who knows? But that's all they are, ideas. Now, Joseph doesn't hold with any of them. Joseph, is it? He seems to be very highly regarded hereabouts. Beth Tillsworth, your daughter, is somewhat taken with him. Somewhat taken? She's in love with him, or I'm wide of the mark. But isn't he a Quaker? Quaker? What of it? Just between us, I'm backing young Joseph's application for a permanent post. It's what he's writing his father about tonight. They're very close. My dear father, a permanent post at the infirmary here in Edinburgh. And he that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh the city. The honeymoon of Joseph in the spring of 1856 would have seemed a strange one to most young brides because it consisted of a channel crossing and a tour of the principal medical schools of Europe. Upon the young couple's return to their newly-pushed home in Edinburgh, Lister determined to identify and destroy septic infection. His research was done after long hours at the infirmary, and his investigation of inflammation proved to be of great value to surgery generally. While he worked toward his goal, he was unaware that just across the English Channel, a 34-year-old French chemist named Louis Pasteur was conducting a series of tests, but with a different goal in view. Because what Pasteur sought to prove, and did, was that each different kind of fermentation was caused by a particular type of microbe, which could be identified and, with the right hand of septic, destroyed. Many years had to pass before the torch of another man's genius was to prove Pasteur's theories. In the gray winter of 1860 at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Joseph Lister rose at dawn to make his early rounds. He was now the head of the largest school of surgery in Britain, appointed with the approval of the Queen before he was 33. Each morning was a grim ordeal because many of the patients were victims of the new industrial revolution, crushed and mangled by machines. The death rate from blood poisoning in the wards was appalling. And after each death due to septic poisoning, he could only repeat again and again, why? Lister? I see. You weren't going to pass without a good morning, were you? Good morning, Anderson. Are you off to early classes? Yes, I am. Good heavens, man, but you do look wretched. Do you have time to sit with me a bit? I'm still rather keyed up about something. Oh, yes, of course. Now then, what's happened? Well, the crane at Leckie's Ironworks fell yesterday. It killed one poor man. We got three of them, and I've spent the night stitching up two of them. They're both in rather poor shape, and with the condition the infirmary's in, well, you can guess their chances. Sepsis again? The surgery ward's rotten with it, and we've absolutely no way of fighting it, and we won't have until we find the answer. Joseph, have you heard of the work of Louis Pasteur? The French chemist? Yes. I'm familiar with his reputation, of course. Well, Pasteur has published two remarkable papers on his theory that microbes are the cause of fermentation. They might, they just might be your answer. Well, that would be too much to hope for. Do you have any copies? Yes. I'll drop them off at your home on the way back tonight. Do that, Anderson. Stimulated by Pasteur's theories, Lister began duplicating in meticulous detail all of the great Frenchman's tests. He wanted to identify the microbes for himself and to devise an antiseptic which, while destroying infection, would have no injurious effect on sensitive flesh and at the same time be practical and effective in surgery. Aggie, I've just remembered something I read. Where was it? Yes. An article about how the municipal authorities in Carlisle, I think, destroyed the odor of sewage waste by using a carbolic acid compound called German creosote. Well, if it killed the stench, it must have killed what caused it. I must see Anderson. Perhaps he can find me some. Tonight? But it's late, dear. Tomorrow will do. No, no, at once. The raw German creosote proved too powerful to use on the wounds. But after several months, under the expert supervision of his friend Anderson, the chemistry professor, and many exacting refinements, the goal was reached. Carbolic acid and linseed oil in just the right proportions. Lister, I think we got it. And just in time for a very special case I have. Special case? A boy of 12. A fine young lad. Name of Jamie. He was brought in with a badly smashed hip. I did all I could, but I'm afraid inflammation has already set in. This is the boy's only hope. We'll need more than this amount. Right. When will you use it? As soon as it's ready. Why don't you come along and watch? Oh, thanks. I was just about to ask. And so, in March of 1865, one of the greatest events in the history of healing took place. The first successful application of antiseptic technique in surgery. And now, let us review the procedure so far. First, the reopening of the wound after the skin surrounding has been cleaned. Next, the swabbing out with lint soaked in the carbolic acid solution to destroy the microbes already at their deadly work within the wound. Then the application of an acid-soaked dressing on the surface. Is that clear so far? Yes. The wound is now covered by the tinfoil sheeting to retard the evaporation of the antiseptic fluid. The rest of the procedure you're already familiar with from other cases. That's all for now, gentlemen, and thank you. And I know you will all hope with me that when our young patient wakes up, it will be to a long, healthy, and a happy life. Doctor. Yes, Jamie. Dr. Lister, when may I go home? Why, Jamie, don't you like us anymore? Or are you longing for your mother's bannock cakes? Dr. Lister. Yes. Look. No inflammation. No trace of sepsis. Just healthy granulation. It's a miracle. May God send us more such miracles. And this was done by refining the solutions and simplifying his technique. Joseph has made his method available to any surgeon who wishes to use it. I'd say that due to Joseph Lister's perseverance, surgery is no longer a hazardous lottery, but a soundly based science. Joseph, be a dear and rescue poor Lord Glamier from father. What's Joseph here in Edinburgh for this time? Ah, well, I thought I'd badger him into writing a bit more about his methods. Ah, I was just talking about... And you'd better stop or I won't let you read my article in the Lancet or tell you my news. Ah, well, I did prod you into writing an item or two for him. What news? I've been invited to prepare and read a paper before the British Medical Association at their Dublin meeting. You'll never write it down. It's written. What's it called, Joseph? On the antiseptic principle in the practice of surgery. It's rather a mouthful, isn't it? I do hope they'll listen. Well, perhaps I'll be there to make sure they do. And I say to you, gentlemen, that although my antiseptic method of surgery was first used successfully in compound fractures, you must not suppose its use to be so restricted. Therefore, it is with utmost confidence... Rubbish. Ridiculous. ...that I claim my method of surgery is applicable to the entire field of surgery. I agree with you. And I'll be glad to have every surgeon, everywhere, practice it without any obligation to me whatsoever. Oh, but yet listen to these fools applauding. That fellow's a charlatan. What lunatic invited him here? I'm going to write a letter of protest. I'll protest now. Just a moment, you. Have you ever once seen a single case of antiseptic surgery? Well, no, I haven't. Yet to have the impudence to criticize Dr. Lister as a surgeon. A surgeon who has not had one case of sepsis in nine months. How many cases have you had in that time, doctor? And how few of them recovered? Despite his critics, Lister felt he had gained some supporters at the Dublin meeting. And daily after his many duties at the Glasgow infirmary, he spent long hours devising other improvements in his technique. But the opposition of the closed minds that his father had prophesied had begun to appear in various medical journals. Oh, Thomas. What a pleasant surprise. What brings you out so late? Well, I, uh... I thought I'd better... He came here to show us this. Another of those. Look, you've come at exactly the right time. I've got it at last. And in perfect proportions for my dressing. Joseph, you must listen. And this time you must do something about it. All right, who wrote it? Well, no doubt one of your respected colleagues. But without the courage to sign his name. Well, what did he say? To be blunt, Joseph, he says you proclaim that you are the discoverer of carbolic acid. Well, is that all you're going to do? Just laugh? Aggie. I'll answer them if you wish. But fighting isn't going to change my ideas, dear. There's a saying my father likes to quote. I know. He that is slow to anger. No, no, no. This is from Ecclesiastes. To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. We must be patient, Aggie. We must wait. When Sir James Syme retired, the man who would succeed him was of tremendous importance to his students. Who do you suppose would take Sir James' place? What about Lister? Well, why not? He'd be a big feather in Edinburgh's cap. He wouldn't. He's already famous. Well, he can't outsmart us for asking. What about sending him a letter? Well, let's get pen and paper, and we'll have everyone sign. Lister was delighted by the students' appeal, and he and Agnes set out happily for Edinburgh, which they had always thought of as home. Re-established in his old infirmary, Lister remained what he had always been, a dedicated surgeon, to whom the saving of lives was more important than personal honors, although he was gratified by the number of foreign surgeons who came to observe his work. You see? It comes from the wound fresh and clean. And always like this? Always the same. Fresh and clean, Doctor. Each of these men from other lands was a potential and important factor in spreading the news of Joseph Lister's antiseptic surgery throughout the world. As far away as the city of St. Louis in the United States, Lister's work had aroused keen interest. The story deeply impressed a pharmacist named Jordan Lambert. Now, this is the best article you've ever published. Probably one of the most exciting stories in the history of medicine. You mean the one about Lister? Yes, yes. What he had to go through to come out on top. Why is it, Dr. Lawrence, that American surgeons are so slow to adopt his technique? Well, I suppose because so few have seen the demonstrations. There's also some reluctance to use carbolic acid. It does burn or irritate the tissues, unless it's handled carefully. What about mercuric chloride? Yes, one to one thousand solutions proven an effective germicide. But that also is corrosive and dangerously poisonous. A great many have searched for a safer antiseptic. Yes, a safe antiseptic with potent germ-killing power would be a boon to all physicians. That's why you've been staying up nights. This new formula you were telling me about. I have been working along those lines. Based directly on Lister's principles, of course. What a chance to help the cause of medicine. What are the results, doctor? Will you show me? You come to my laboratory tomorrow night. And so in the quiet little St. Louis laboratory, experiments were carried on until the day the objective was attained. A completely safe solution compounded from substances of natural derivation, but which had the germ-killing action of a two and a half percent solution of carbolic acid. You know, Lawrence, I still can't quite realize it, but here it is. Scientifically tested and proven. And now that we've got it, offer it to physicians on a prescription basis. Lambert, how good a sailor are you? Sailor? What are you talking about? I think we've agreed we should name our new antiseptic in honor of Dr. Lister, so one of us should go to London and get his permission. And since even a canoe and a river is too much for me, I'm elected. When we're ready, you'll go to London. So Jordan Lambert eventually traveled to London. From a splendid equipage and in a gentleman's formal attire, rented on the advice of English friends, he was deposited at Number 12 Park Crescent, London home of Lister. Lister, still young looking for his years, was now in a post created especially for him at King's College Medical School. And on Queen Victoria's New Year's honors list, he was named as Sir Joseph Lister. Always interested in new ideas, the Listers greeted their American visitor warmly. We know our formula has the antiseptic power of all the solutions now being used, but it's absolutely harmless, even to the delicate membranes of the mouth. Now that is something. And our product, which has been developed directly on your principles, Sir Joseph, will be of benefit to medicine all over the world. We're certain of that. And that's why I'm here, sir. To thank you for your inspiration. And to ask your permission to let us name this safe antiseptic after you, calling it Listerine. But that's not necessary, Mr. Lambert. If it's of benefit to mankind, the name you give it doesn't matter, does it? Your name would honor us, Sir Joseph. You seem to mean that, young man. So I give my permission with all my heart. In 1897, on the occasion of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, Sir Joseph Lister, now 70 years of age, was made Lord Lister, a peer of the realm, and prepared to take his seat in the House of Lords. Lord Lister, one of the great men of medicine, the man who inspired the product that so proudly bears his name. Whenever and wherever the need, Listerism is there. Lister refused to accept needless suffering and death. He fought the unknown destroyer with perseverance, vision, and an unshakable faith in his mission. His victory was for all humanity. What greater inspiration could there be than this courageous lover of the truth, a shining source of inspiration for all mankind, Dr. Joseph Lister. © BF-WATCH TV 2021