Why were Lister's views opposed?

• A. They were widely accepted at once
• B. Arrogant, mixed results, slowed down operations, blood loss, extra work
• C. They had no impact on surgery
• D. They were too expensive

Answer: (B)

New ideas about preventing infection challenged the way surgeons worked, so they met resistance because they demanded big changes and didn’t always show immediate, unquestionable improvement. Lister argued for antisepsis with carbolic acid to kill germs in wounds, but early results were mixed, so critics doubted how reliable the method was. The approach also added steps to preparation, slowed down operations, and raised concerns about tissue damage and extra work, which made surgeons worry about outcomes and efficiency. All of these practical and reputational hurdles help explain why his views were opposed at first, even though they eventually transformed surgery.