How long did it take before Lister's views became widely accepted?

• A. 8 years
• B. 5 years
• C. 12 years
• D. 20 years

Answer: (C)

New ideas in medicine often spread slowly because doctors need convincing evidence, have to change working habits, and weigh costs. Lister showed that using antiseptics in surgery cut infections, but surgeons were cautious at first—skeptical about microbes, wary of changing familiar routines, and unsure about the expense and practicality. As his methods were tested and proven repeatedly, trust grew, and more surgeons began to adopt antisepsis. By about twelve years after these initial experiments and demonstrations, antiseptic technique had moved from experimental practice to being widely used in many hospitals. This illustrates how medical innovations can go from novelty to standard practice within roughly a decade, given sustained success and visible improvements in patient outcomes.