February 8, 2010
On the 10th of February 1912, Joseph Lister died – or to give him his title by then, 1st Baron Lister. Contrary to popular opinion Joseph Lister was not Scottish. He was born in Upton, Essex, the son of Joseph Jackson Lister who was instrumental in the development of the compound miscroscope. Joseph Lister came from a strong Quaker background but changed to the Scottish Episcopal Church. His Scottish connections are through the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow where he pioneered the use of carbolic acid as an antiseptic and saved countless thousands, if not millions of lives, as a result. He didn't invent "Listerine Mouthwash" but he did give his name to it - or rather his name was taken and used by the manufacturers as far back as 1879.