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British surgeon (1827-1912) who pioneered the practice of sterile surgery, one of the most important medical advances of the day. Desirable LS from Joseph Lister, one page, 3.75 x 6, 12 Park Crescent (Portland Place) letterhead, May 3, 1882. Short letter to Mr. Porter, forwarding the address of the famed French chemist and microbiologist Louis Pasteur, in full: “Pasteur’s address is Monsieur L. Pasteur, Ecole Normale, Paris.” In fine condition, with a light vertical bend.
A sought-after letter from Lister, whose pioneering work with antiseptic surgery was largely influenced by Louis Pasteur’s germ theory, which revealed that microorganisms cause disease and that preventing these microbes from entering the body could stop infection. His ideas developed from studies on contamination, which led him to conclude that microbes infect animals and humans.
Lister applied Pasteur’s germ theory to surgery, and in his 1867 paper, Antiseptic Principle of the Practice of Surgery, Lister explained that the reduction in surgical infections achieved by using carbolic acid was due to the destruction of disease-causing microorganisms, as described by Pasteur. By linking Pasteur’s theory to practical surgical techniques, Lister was able to develop and popularize antiseptic methods, especially in the English-speaking world.
From the personal collection of a lifelong collector, teacher, and traveler with a passion for world history. His collecting years ranged from the 1970s to the present day, meaning that several of the premier pieces have not been on the market in decades.
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