Joseph lister scientist biography lesson plan
•
Who was Joseph Lister: A Look into His Life and Legacy
Joseph Lister, was a British surgeon and medical scientist who paved the path for modern-day surgery and aseptic techniques. His pioneering work laid the foundation for the widespread adoption of antiseptic surgery, significantly reducing surgical mortality rates and earning him the title 'Father of Modern Surgery'.
Interestingly, you might recognize the name, as the mouthwash brand 'Listerine' was named after him, to honour his contributions in reducing infection.
Joseph Lister: Early Life and Education
Joseph Lister, whose full name was Joseph Baron Lister, was born on April 5, 1827, in Upton, Essex, England. He came from a Quaker family, with his father being a successful wine merchant and amateur scientist.
Amid the wide-ranging curiosities ignited by his father’s scientific investigations, Lister developed an early fascination with the biological sciences.
At the age of 16, Lister entered the University C
•
Joseph Lister Facts & Worksheets
Download This Sample
This sample is exclusively for KidsKonnect members!
To download this worksheet, click the button below to signup for free (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start the download!
Sign Me Up
In the first half of the nineteenth century, surgery was performed without anesthesia and sterilization. Post-surgery infection kills roughly 25% of patients until Joseph Lister’s discovery of the antisepsis system.
See the fact file below for more upplysning on Joseph Lister, or you can download our 22-page Joseph Lister worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
- Joseph Lister was a surgeon and scientist born on April 5, 1827, in Upton, Essex, Englan
- Lister was born in England on 5 April 1827.
- His father taught him how to use a microscope
- By the age of 16 he wanted to be a surgeon.
- Lister was shocked that half of patients died after surgery.
- He learned about invisible germs from French chemist Louis Pasteur's work on rotten food
- Lister began experimenting with chemicals to clean patients' wounds.
- Cleaning wounds and surgical instruments with antiseptic made the survival rate higher.
- Lister published his discovery and began persuading others to use the same methods.
- Joseph Lister died in England on 10 February 1912 aged 87.
Surgery was very dangerous and the high death rate made many people suggest it should be stopped.
Patients often died from '
•
Joseph Lister is known as the 'father of modern surgery'
Find out how his ideas about cleanliness and sterilisation made medical operations safer.