Which figure is associated with introducing antiseptic methods in surgery after Germ Theory?

• A. Louis Pasteur
• B. Ignaz Semmelweis
• C. John Snow
• D. Joseph Lister

Answer: (D)

Once people understood that unseen microbes can cause infections, surgeons looked for ways to stop microbes from entering wounds. Joseph Lister is the figure who turned that idea into practice by introducing antiseptic methods in surgery after germ theory. He used carbolic acid (phenol) to sterilize instruments, clean wounds, and disinfect the operating environment, and he promoted careful technique to avoid contamination. This approach led to a dramatic drop in post-operative infections and deaths, making antiseptic methods standard in the operating room. Pasteur provided the germ theory that underpins this whole approach, while Semmelweis had earlier urged handwashing to prevent fever in childbirth before germ theory was widely accepted, and Snow is linked to cholera and public health rather than surgical antisepsis.