This color film is a promotional short made for the Warner-Lambert Pharmaceutical Co. Warner–Lambert started in 1856, when William R. Warner founded a drug store in Philadelphia. Warner went on to invent a tablet coating process. The second half of the name came from Jordan Wheat Lambert, founder of the Lambert Pharmacal Company of St. Louis, famous for Listerine. “The Story of Dr. Lister” is a 1963 film about Joseph Lister (1827 – 1912), a British surgeon and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery, whose research into bacteriology and infection in wounds, revolutionized surgery. Lister promoted the idea of sterile surgery while working at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. Lister promoted Louis Pasteur’s ideas and successfully introduced carbolic acid (phenol) to sterilize surgical instruments and to clean wounds. He is known as the “father of modern surgery”.

No opening credits. Edinburgh, Scotland, 1800s. A man falls off a horse. A wagon stops and another man comes to review his injury. Observers watch and comment. The injured man is taken away by wagon. Two men carry in the man on a stretcher. The man will be seeing A Dr. Lister and two people discuss the doctor. Joseph Lister introduces himself to the man who brought the injured man. The injured man is tended to and talks to the doctors. Dr. Lister opens an operation room door. The injured man is in pain and Dr. Lister rushes to his aid. Doctor confers with an aid (:06-4:17). Dr. Lister talks with Agnes and his parents. Doctors discuss injuries (4:18-5:55). Dr. Lister writes a letter to his father. Wedding invitation to the marriage of Dr. Lister and Agnes. 1856, Dr. Lister takes his bride to visit medical schools in Europe on their honeymoon. Once they return, he looks over books. Louis Pasteur was a French biologist, microbiologist and chemist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization. Pasteur works in his lab (5:56-7:28). Glasgow, 1860, Infirmary. Dr. Lister walks around inside. Dr. Lister talks with Anderson, outside at night, about injuries to people at an accident site. Lister works in a lab and is trying to devise an antiseptic. He then talks things outlaid with his wife (7:29-10:28). Lister works with Anderson and they find what they’re looking for in the lab. They have an antiseptic. Lister holds up a test tube. March 1865, first application of antiseptic in an operation. Dr. Lister explains to others watching about what he is doing and what the antiseptic has done. A young boy who has had the operation talks with the doctors (10:29-12:52). Edinburgh, 1866, Agnes’ father talks with a man about Lister’s methods. Lister talks with the two men. Dr. Lister speaks to a bunch of doctors about his methods of surgery. Some of the doctors think the doctor is a fraud (12:53-15:29). Lister spends hours to improve his techniques. Agnes brings Anderson who holds an article about Lister being a fraud. Lister holds Agnes by the arms (15:30-17:17). Edinburgh, 1869. Exterior Royal Infirmary. Men discuss bringing in Lister. Lister and Agnes move to Edinburgh. A man carries a bucket of water. Surgeons observe Lister at work. He shows what he has done. Now the film moves to the City of St. Louis, MO, 1879. A pharmacist named Jordan Lambert is impressed with Lister. Lambert discusses Lister with a colleague and they play checkers (17:18-20:24). Test tube. Lambert does an experiment. Bottles of carbolic acid. He works with a colleague on an antiseptic. Arriving to visit Dr. Lister, Lambert exits a horse drawn carriage. Lambert meets Lister, they shake hands, he nods at Agnes. The three of them talk (20:25-22:59). In 1897, Sir Lister was made Lord Lister at age 70. Lord Lister. Lister shows his methods. Lister writes. Dr. Joseph Lister shown in portrait (23:00-24:10). End credits (24:11-24:33).

We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”

This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com