A Scottish Quaker Joseph Lister, pictured on the right, who after graduating in 1854 was appointed as an assistant to the famous surgeon James Syme. As a surgeon Lister quickly saw the devastation caused by infection. Lister was aware of Pasteur's work and became convinced that bacteria was the cause of these horrible infections. Lister devoted his efforts to developing aseptic techniques for surgery and post surgical treatment with antiseptics.

Lister used bandages soaked in carbonic acid to dress wounds. This had an immediate impact on the mortality rate. He later progressed to having his operating theatre sprayed with carbolic during an operation and had all instruments carefully cleaned.

But Lister's efforts were largely ignored by the medical community at the time and at one stage an eminent professor of surgery wrote: "Where are these little beasts? Show them to us and we shall believe in them. Has anyone seen them yet?"