RCPSG 11
Papers of Dr Joseph Lister, first Baron Lister of Lyme Regis (1827-1912), founder of antiseptic surgery
1867-1965
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
0.06 linear metres
Dr Joseph Lister (1827-1912).
English
Joseph Lister was born at Upton, Essex in 1827. He was raised as a Quaker and went to a Quaker school in Tottenham. He attended University College London where he took the degrees of BA in 1847 and MB in 1852. He came to Edinburgh for a few months' study with James Syme, the Professor of Clinical Surgery, in 1853 and stayed for seven years, marrying Syme's daughter Agnes in 1856. He became Syme's dresser and subsequently his house-surgeon for one year. In 1856 he was appointed Assistant Surgeon to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and took an active part in teaching the extra-mural school. In 1860, he was appointed to the Regius Chair of Surgery in Glasgow University, and a year later became surgeon to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. It was during these years at Glasgow that he made the observations and discoveries which revolutionized the treatment of disease and injuries. His interest in the recently discovered pasteurisation process led to experiments with the use of carbolic acid to keep wounds clean and to the advent of antiseptic surgery. In 1869 Lister became Professor of Clinical Surgery at Edinburgh. In 1877 he left to take up the Chair of Clinical Surgery created for him at King's College Hospital, London. He was granted a baronetcy in 1883; and was created Baron Lister, of Lyme Regis in 1897. He died in 1912.
For obituaries of Joseph Lister, see the British Medical Journal, 1912 (Volume 1) and the Glasgow Medical Journal, 1912 (Volume 77).
Correspondence, 1869-1929, including to Sir William Macewen and Sir Hector Cameron; miscellaneous material, 1867-1912, including an article written by Lister for the Lancet on the topic of the 'Interdependence of Science and the Healing Art', a lecture about Lister given by Sir William Macewen, photographs including one of the Lister Ward at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, printed order of service for his funeral at Westminster Abbey and his obituary which appeared in the Glasgow University Magazine; material relating to the celebrations of centenary of Lister's Birth, 1927-1965.
Arranged chronologically within record series.
Not known.
Not known.
Appraised in accordance with GB 250's collection policy.
Not expected.
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This material is original.
Descriptive list available at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. See also NRA(S) Survey 1909.
RCPSG 32 Papers of Sir Hector Cameron; Lister spray and instruments in RCPSG instrument collection.
No known publications.
None.
Lister Joseph 1827-1912 Baron
Edinburgh (Scotland)
Glasgow (Scotland)
London (England)
RCPSG 11/1
Correspondence
1869-1929
Correspondence
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/1/1
Testimonial from Lister on behalf of Prof. Murdoch Cameron
22 May 1869
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Testimonial from Lister on behalf of Cameron, certifying that Cameron acted as Dresser in the Glasgow Royal Infirmary from February to May 1868.
RCPSG 11/1/2
Testimonial from Lister on behalf of Prof. Murdoch Cameron
27 April 1870
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/1/3
Letter from Lister to Prof. Murdoch Cameron
21 December 1890
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Congratulating Cameron on his success in Caesarean Section and requesting reference to any description of Cameron's mode of operating.
RCPSG 11/1/4
Letter from Lister to Prof. Murdoch Cameron
9 March 1891
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Congratulating Cameron on his work in Caesarean Section and offering advice on various aspects of antiseptic surgery.
RCPSG 11/1/5
Permission for Murdoch Cameron to alter date of testimonial
29 August 1893
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Letter giving Cameron permission to alter the date of a testimonial that Lister had written for him.
RCPSG 11/1/6
Letter from Lister to Dr. A.K. Chalmers
10 December 1902
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Dr Archibald Kerr Chalmers (1856-1942) was the Medical Officer of Health of Glasgow at the time and writer of "
The Health of Glasgow 1818-1925".
Requesting information on how the Glasgow authorities deal with prostitution. Notes for a reply from Chalmers.
Prostitution
RCPSG 11/1/7
Letter from Lister to Dr. Edington
15 December 1902
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Giving information on Lister's study of bacteria and other microbes while in Glasgow and Edinburgh, stating that efforts to combat decomposition of the blood in open wounds were useless until Pasteur's researches.
RCPSG 11/1/8
Letter from Lister to Dr. Edington
14 July 1905
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Acknowledging receipt of information on the date of his enrolment as an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
RCPSG 11/1/9
Letter from Lister to Dr. Edington
6 June 1907
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Regarding birthday notice in
Glasgow Medical Journal
RCPSG 11/1/10
Letter from Lister to Mr Finlay (a former patient)
29 November 1895
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Expressing pleasure at the success of an amputation and the improbability of a recurrence of a groin disease.
RCPSG 11/1/11
Letter from Lister to Dr. J. Finlayson
14 November 1900
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Congratulating Dr. James Finlayson on his election as President of the Royal Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, hoping that this will partly compensate for the "disappointment" regarding the clinical chair.
RCPSG 11/1/12
Letter from Lister to W.B. Hilliard
3 May 1870
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Thanking W.B. Hilliard (Cupper to the Royal Infirmary) for his present of an aspirator for evacuating abscesses, but stating that the instrument will not be of much practical use.
RCPSG 11/1/13
Journal extract. Hilliard's son recounts meeting with Lister
May 1929
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Extract from the
Glasgow Medical Journal in which Hilliard's son recounts his father's meeting with Lister, regarding his present of an aspirator for evacuating abscesses.
RCPSG 11/1/14
Letter from Sir William Macewen to Lister
5 March 1881
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Protesting about, and apologising to Lister for an article in the
British Medical Journal about chromic acid gut ligatures. The editorial implies that Macewen wishes to contest "a point of priority" with Lister.
RCPSG 11/1/15
Letter from W. Macewen to Lister
27 October 1884
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Referring to a recent paper by Lister's recent "Anisine Sublimate as a Surgical Dressing", on epithelium covering of blood clots.
RCPSG 11/1/16
Letter from Sir William Macewen to Lister (copy)
c.1860-1890
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
(Copy) letter discussing methods of drawing cow milk whilst avoiding contamination.
RCPSG 11/1/17
Letter from Lister to Dr. Paterson
29 October 1897
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
On Dr. Paterson's prize essay in
The Lancet and with suggestions on the use of the tubercle bacilli as a method of immunity against tuberculosis.
RCPSG 11/1/18
Letter from Lister to Dr. Paterson
2 November 1897
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
On the use of fowl serum to protect fowls against fowl tubercle
RCPSG 11/1/19
Letter from Lister to Dr. Paterson
8 November 1897
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Comments by Lister on Dr. Paterson's prized essay on the immunisation of animals against tuberculosis.
RCPSG 11/1/20
Letter from Lister to Dr. Paterson
19 November 1897
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
On Dr. Paterson's experiments with animals
RCPSG 11/1/21
Letter from Lister to Dr. Paterson
28 Jan 1898
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Inviting Dr. Paterson to bring round his animals.
RCPSG 11/1/22
Letter from Lister to Dr. Paterson
22 February 1898
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Comments by Lister on the content of Metchnikoff's
Immunität, a pamphlet on the animal experiments on immunisation against tuberculosis.
RCPSG 11/1/23
Letter from Lister to Dr Paterson
14 April 1898
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Regarding testimonial provided by Lister for proposed scholarship application for Dr. Paterson, with remarks on Metchnikoff's pamphlet,
Immunität, and their own related experiments on immunisation.
RCPSG 11/1/24
Letter from Lister to Dr. Paterson
17 October 1898
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Giving Dr. Paterson an article reference in
Annals de l'Institut Pasteur on the relation between human and bird tuberculosis.
RCPSG 11/1/25
Letter from Lister on a testimonial for Dr. Paterson
15 November 1898
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/1/26
Letter from Lister to Dr. Paterson
18 November 1898
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Letter concerning Paterson's experiments with animals and his application for a Cambridge studentship.
RCPSG 11/1/27
Letter from Lister to Dr. Paterson
17 July 1899
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Advising Dr. Pateron that his work on preventive injections against tuberculosis will probably not have a wide application, but may have application in curative work.
RCPSG 11/1/28
Letter from Lister to Dr. Paterson
9 January 1901
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
On Dr. Paterson's work on tuberculosis in animals, and his experiments on guinea pigs.
RCPSG 11/1/29
Letter from Lister to Dr. Paterson
29 August 1906
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Letter from Lister on Paterson's recent article in
The Lancet, and his discovery that tubercle bacilli lose vitality at low temperatures.
RCPSG 11/1/30
Letter from Lister to Dr. Paterson
17 September 1906
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
On Dr. Paterson's experiments on humans with tuberculosis vaccine, and the simplification of his sterilisation procedure.
RCPSG 11/1/31
Letter from Lister to Dr Paterson
8 October 1906
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
On Paterson's experiment growing tubercle bacilli in serum, and criticising his use of "plugging" in treating abscesses as "wholly uncalled for [...] under proper antiseptic management".
RCPSG 11/1/32
Lister's testimonial for Dr. W. Reid
27 July 1869
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/1/33
Letter from Lister to Dr. W . Reid
7 July 1880
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Thanking Dr. W. Reid for a copy of a pamphlet by Von Weber and expressing satisfaction that Reid is to provide antiseptic measures for poor women in Glasgow.
RCPSG 11/1/34
Letter from Lister to Dr. W. Reid
7 October 1906
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Stating that he is unable to attend a dinner in Glasgow due to ill-health, expressing satisfaction that Reid is to provide antiseptic measures for poor women in Glasgow.
RCPSG 11/1/35
Letter from Lister to the Fellows of the Faculty
30 April 1907
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Thanking the Fellows of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow for their address on his eightieth birthday.
RCPSG 11/1/36
Letter from Lister to Sir Hector Cameron
9 July 1905
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Regarding Cameron being made an honorary member of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
RCPSG 11/1/37
Letter from Lister to Sir Hector Cameron
4 September 1905
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Suggesting that Cameron make the evolution of surgery the subject of his discourses.
RCPSG 11/1/38
Letter from Lister to Lord Provost of Glasgow
25 November 1907
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Letter expressing that Lister is "deeply touched" regarding proposal to have the Freedom of the City conferred upon him. Is unable to receive it in Glasgow due to illness but accepts the offer to receive it in London.
RCPSG 11/2
Miscellaneous papers of Dr. Joseph Lister
1867-1912
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/2/1
Lord Lister's visiting card
c. 1850-1910
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Visiting card, to introduce Professor Boltini to William Macewen.
RCPSG 11/2/2
Article, "The Independence of Science and the Healing of Art",
19 September 1896
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Presidential address of Sir Joseph Lister before the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Published in
The Lancet.
Article deals with the works of Pasteur, Lister, Koch, Metchnikoff and others.
RCPSG 11/2/3
Lecture on Lord Lister's life and work
7 June 1912
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Sir William Macewen's, "Lord Lister" lecture presented at meeting of the Royal Institution of Great Britain.
RCPSG 11/2/4
Photograph of Lister Ward, Glasgow Royal Infirmary (missing)
c.1860-1920
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/2/5
Attendance card of Mr Murdoch Cameron
1867-1868
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Attendance card of Mr Murdoch Cameron at Clinical Lectures on Surgical Patients in Glasgow Royal Infirmary, given by Professor Lister and Dr. Ebenezer Watson.
RCPSG 11/2/6/1-2
Attendance cards of Mr Murdoch Cameron
1867-1869
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Attendance cards of Mr Murdoch Cameron at Clinical Lectures on Surgical Patients in Glasgow Royal Infirmary, given by Professor Lister and Dr. Ebenezer Watson.
RCPSG 11/2/7/1-5
Photograph of Medico-Chirurgical Society minutes and flask of urine
17 April 1868
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Photographs of Minutes of Meeting of Medico-Chirurgical Society at which Lister first publically announced his system of antiseptic surgery. Also photographs of flask of urine used to demonstrate the above (outsize).
RCPSG 11/2/8
Printed order of service for funeral of Lord Lister
16 February 1912
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Held at Westminster Abbey.
RCPSG 11/2/9
Obituary of Lord Lister,
Glasgow University Magazine
15 February 1912
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/2/10
Admission card for Lord Lister's funeral service
1912
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Westminster Abbey. In the name of Professor Murdoch Cameron.
RCPSG 11/2/11
Membership card, Glasgow University Medico-Chirurgical Society
1892-1893
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/2/12
Invitation for an address by Sir Joseph Lister
8 March 1894
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
From the Glasgow University Medico-Chirurgical Society.
RCPSG 11/3
Lister Centenary Celebrations
1927-1965
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/3/1
Newspaper cutting, account by Sir Hector Cameron
March 1927
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Account by Sir Hector regarding the introduction of antiseptic surgery by Lister.
RCPSG 11/3/2
Reminiscences of Lister, by Sir Hector Cameron
March 1927
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Reminiscences of Lister and his work in the wards of the Glasgow Royal Infirmary 1860-1869, by Sir Hector Cameron.
RCPSG 11/3/3
Ribbon from wreath placed near the Lister medallion
1 April 1927
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
(Lister medallion, North Block, Glasgow Royal Infirmary)
RCPSG 11/3/4
Order of service, Lister centenary celebrations
1 April 1927
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Duplicate of GB 250 RCPSG 11/3/5.
RCPSG 11/3/5
Order of service, Lister centenary celebrations
1 April 1927
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Duplicate of GB 250 RCPSG 11/3/4.
RCPSG 11/3/6
List of delegates who visited the Glasgow Royal Infirmary
1927
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
For Lister's Centenary Celebrations.
RCPSG 11/3/7
Offical program for Lister Cenetary Celebrations
1 April 1927
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Duplicate of BG 250 RCPSG 11/3/8
RCPSG 11/3/8
Offical program for Lister Cenetary Celebrations
1 April 1927
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Duplicate of BG 250 RCPSG 11/3/7
RCPSG 11/3/9
Admission tickets for reconstruction scheme opening ceremony
12 October 1928
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Admission tickets (2) for the opening ceremony of the reconstruction scheme, including the Lister Lecture Theatre, Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
RCPSG 11/3/10
Delegates' tickets (8) for Lister Centenary Celebrations
1 April 1927
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/3/11
Menu, Lister Centenary Luncheon
1 April 1927
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Held at Glasgow City Chambers.
RCPSG 11/3/12
Order of procession, Lister Centenary Celebrations
1 April 1927
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/3/13/1-2
Covering letter to delegates, Lister Centenary Celebrations
March 1927
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/3/14
"The Cathedral" - a poem by Lauchlan Maclean Watt
c.1850/1910
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
RCPSG 11/3/15/1-26
Press cuttings, Lister Centenary Celebrations
1927-1965
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow