Lister Names a Plough and a Surgeon Who Changed Medicine
A lister is a double-mouldboard plough used in dry farming. The surname belongs to the man who introduced antiseptic surgery.
A lister is a plough with a double mouldboard, throwing soil to both sides to create a furrow for planting in dry regions. The surname is far better known: Joseph Lister introduced antiseptic surgery in the 1860s, cutting infection rates dramatically. Listerine was named in his honour, though he had nothing to do with the product.
- A double-mouldboard plough. *A lister plough.*
- To plough with one. *Listed the field.*
- Lister as a surname. *Joseph Lister.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | lister | A horse-drawn lister. |
| Plural | listers | Two listers. |
| Verb | list | List the rows. |
| Related | mouldboard | A curved mouldboard. |
| Related | furrow | A deep furrow. |
How it is used in a sentence
- A lister opens a furrow on both sides.Dry-land farming.
- Lister introduced carbolic acid to surgery.From 1867.
- Listerine was named after him.Without his involvement.
Lister's contribution
- Germ theory — he applied Pasteur's findings to surgery
- Carbolic acid — used to sterilise instruments and wounds
- Results — post-operative mortality fell sharply
- Resistance — many surgeons rejected the idea for years
- Legacy — antiseptic practice became the foundation of modern surgery
From *list* in an agricultural sense meaning to plough into ridges. The surname derives from an occupational word for a dyer.
What is a lister plough for?
Creating furrows in dry regions so that seed is planted below the surface, where moisture is retained.
Did Lister invent Listerine?
No. An American company named the antiseptic after him in 1879, in tribute rather than partnership.