Heroes of Science

HEROES OF SCIENCE By Pres. F. S. Harris and N. I. Butt of the Brigham Young University 9. LISTER Perhaps the greatest permanent satisfaction which a person derives in life comes from work which is enjoyed, which helps to make the individual a stronger character, and which renders a positive service to mankind. It is those who have thrown their whole lives into some work which they felt was essential to the welfare of others who have had the most lasting happiness and who are the greatest heroes. Joseph Lister deserves a prominent place among the heroes of science. Born in an age when a slight wound such as may hardly be noticed today often meant weeks or even months of suffering and perhaps death, he died with the happy knowledge that man is master of the conditions which caused so much suffering and death during his earlier life. Before Lister's great work was accomplished surgeons were called barbers and they could render very little more service to a wounded person than could a barber without the antiseptics which are used today. If a person were injured in the abdomen or in a joint the surgeons of a century ago held little hope for recovery since they knew that only one out of two such persons ever recovered. In spite of these horrid conditions, Lister, who was born in England in 1827, early in life decided medicine would be his life work. He loved the work, and while he was attending the various colleges and universities where he was trained, he became known as an enthusi- astic and thorough student. He had already shown more than ordinary interest in the perplexing problems of the medical world at the time he took out his doctor's degree inl852. While Lister was a student working in the hospitals of the col- leges, he was deeply impressed by the suffering of the patients when their wounds became inflamed and great quantities of puss needed to be drained out. It was not uncommon to see patients dying in fever and pain, whose bodies were covered with foul-smelling poultices. The physicians tried to be careful by ventilating the rooms, having clean towels, bed clothes, etc., for their patients, but in spite of all their care hospitals were regular death chambers. The stench of the hospitals and the groans of the patients made them disagreeable places to be around. Determined to improve these conditions if it were in his power to do so, Lister ardently searched for all known facts concerning inflammaion and putrefaction. Most of the authorities claimed that it was due to the presence of the oxygen of the air that wounds festered

436 IMPROVEMENT ERA and developed fatal diseases. From his own observations of patients with the horrid hospital disease, gangrene, Lister had the idea that some sort of a living organism might be at the source of the trouble. As we know, he was right in this supposition, but he discarded the idea after a careful study of the infected sores of a number of patients. He was on the verge of a great discovery, but had not yet sufficient experience and knowledge to carry the idea further. After leaving the University hospitals, Lister worked with a phy- sician who was having unusual success with his patients because he used dry instead of wet, infected bandages as was usual in the other hospitals, and because he was more careful in keeping everything scrupulously clean. It was another evidence that oxygen was not the whole cause of wound infection. Gradually Lister was becoming the greatest authority of the time on everything connected with wound infection. But still surgery was not as satisfactory as he hoped it might be. He was eagerly watch- ing for something better. Being on the alert for anything new on the subject, Lister read the proofs which Louis Pasteur gave that the living organisms, which we now call bacteria, were responsible for decay or disease of vegetable matter. He immediately saw the tremendous significance which this discovery might have on medicine if it applied there. A great many of the mysteries which Lister had been unable fully to comprehend were almost immediately cleared up. He had noticed that when carbolic acid was poured on the foul matter in hospitals the decay was stopped. Seeing that this was prob- ably due to the poisoning of the bacteria he decided to try its effect on a wound. In the year 1864 one of the patients had a compound fracture which it was thought would eventually cause death. In spite of the fact that Lister used undiluted carbolic acid, which is very in- jurious in itself, the patient was saved. Quickly perceiving the injurious action of the pure acid, Lister set about discovering how to dilute it properly. He tried various experiments such as spraying the air with carbolic acid and carefully recorded all results for other physicians. He kept his assistants busily engaged working out the minute details of various ideas until they became weary; but still Lister persisted. Slowly his fame spread. He was securing recovery of a larger percentage of his patients than other physicians and the recovery was more rapid. In spite of this demonstration of the superiority of his methods there was great opposition to him. It took years for his ideas of antiseptics to spread among even those who saw the results. A few Europeans accepted the idea before 1870 but not many. It was not until 1876 after a visit to Philadelphia that his ideas were used in America. Did Lister sit down and idly enjoy fame after it finally reluct-

HEROES OP SCIENCE 437 antly came to him? Far from it; he kept on trying to discover other facts which might help lighten the burden of human suffering. He spent a great amount of effort perfecting the tying of arteries and other wounds by means of catgut in place of silk, because silk leaves a permanently defective wound whereas catgut does not. In conclusion it may be said that Lister was just a plain man in most ways, but he was earnest, eager to do anything which would help develop his beloved medical science, and forgetful of himself. He never asked for fame; it came because he faithfully worked on the problems which appealed to him as being the most fundamental for the welfare of the world. He became famous because he thoroughly pre- pared himself for a great service to mankind, and did the best he could to make use of his training. Provo, Utah. Give God the Credit By Joseph S. Peery All our blessings come from our heavenly Father, "the Giver of every good and perfect gift." Why should we not give him the credit? Man alone is wholly dependent. Yet many people want to give man all the credit and not recognize man's Maker. When man cooperates with God and daily seeks the help of the Almighty, then man really grows. He becomes a power for good. The Savior set us the example of living for the glory of God, not for the glory of man and man's accomplishments. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" is the ideal to work for. In striving for this perfection, self is forgotten; service is the occupation, and joy is the reward. The Lord's prayer, "for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory," becomes a living reality, expressed in feeling, thought and action. The response is, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Yes, worth while beyond our highest conceptions, to live for the glory of God. Home From Work At the click of the gate, I a king become; My Queen of the Realm waits to welcome me home; With sturdy Prince John and fair Princess Pat, Restrained by her side on the old porch mat. •In a leap I am screened by leaves, roses and thorns, And a whole Royal Family is hugged tight in my arms. Salt Lake City AGNES O. NUTTER