Sepsis was something that Lister did not understand (1415) Lister noted that carbolic acid seemed to make a difference in the cleanliness of the wound after he was done. That carbolic acid and Lister's thoughts about microbes, the brand new microscope that was just available and Louis Pasteur's work on pasteurization went together to form the basis of scientific medicine.
Mis ensemble, le phénol, les constatations de Lister sur les microbes, le nouveau microscope, récemment mis au point à cette époque, et les travaux de Louis Pasteur sur la pasteurisation ont formé la base de la médecine scientifique.