Carbolic Spray
HC.I.25.1-2
Carbolic Spray of the type designed by Josph Lister.
Lister’s work involved surgery and teaching throughout his life and his operations would include dressers; assistants who ‘held tins of lotion, fetched and carried, and lifted and moved the patients.’ The second category of men involved in operations were the clerks. The clerks were chosen from the dressers and were more senior. Normally there were three for an operation: one operated the carbolic steam spray, one for instruments and one for administering chloroform. These posts were chosen for a six month period. Surgeons still worked in their normal clothes and by this time the carbolic spray provided some protection against the ingress of bacteria.
Nineteenth century, late
