Description

Letter signed by Joseph Lister to anatomist Julius Victor Carus,  sending condolences upon learning of the death of his wife [Sophie Catherine Hasse]. 1 page, 8vo, personal stationery. The letter was written by his secretary but signed by Lister. Joseph Lister,  who pioneered aseptic surgery,  was a transformative figure in 19th-century medicine. His advocacy of carbolic acid resulted in its being the first widely used surgical antiseptic. Lister’s influence went well beyond that and lead the way toward modern techniques of sterilization; countless lives were ultimately saved in the process. J.V. Carus, was a noted anatomist and a professor of anatomy at both Oxford and Leipzig.