Who is known as the Father of Antisepis because of his practice of using carbolic acid to cleanse his hands, operation tables and instruments prior to performing surgery? Select one: a. Louis Pasteur b. Anton Semmelweis c. Benjamin Franklin d. Joseph Lister

Answer

The correct answer is d. Joseph Lister. Joseph Lister was a British surgeon who is widely regarded as the 'Father of Antiseptic Surgery.' Inspired by Louis Pasteur's germ theory of disease, Lister reasoned that infection in wounds was caused by microorganisms. To combat this, he pioneered the use of carbolic acid (phenol) to sterilize surgical instruments, operating surfaces, and the hands of the surgeon, as well as applying it to wounds to prevent gangrene. His methods dramatically reduced post-surgical infection rates and revolutionized modern medicine. While Louis Pasteur developed the germ theory itself and Ignaz Semmelweis (listed here as Anton Semmelweis) advocated for handwashing, it was specifically Lister's implementation of carbolic acid antisepsis that earned him this title.