1844

Joseph Lister arrives at University College London to begin Arts degree, after which, in 1846, he begins medical studies; observes Robert Liston’s first operation with ether on 21 December 1846. Began hospital training at University College Hospital and soon contracted mild case of smallpox that unnerved him and led to serious depression. Lister withdrew from UCL in March, 1848, treated himself via Naturopathy with retreat to rural Ireland, then returned to UCL in 1849 restored and recommitted to surgery.  Assigned dresser to senior surgeon John Eric Erichsen.  Received bachelor of medicine with honors in 1852, when he becomes Fellow of Royal College of Surgeons and house surgeon at UC H.  In 1852, he passes exams at Royal College of Surgeons; 1853, not sure of surgery (again), so becomes physician assistant to Walshe; Sept 1853 off for his European tour, but gets waylaid at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary under James Syme, becomes Syme’s House Surgeon in 1854.  Accepts Regius Professorship of Clinical Surgery at Glascow University in 1859, though only granted privileges at Glascow Royal Infirmary in 1861, where he remained preoccupied with how poisonous matter got from wounds into the veins.   Then in 1869, following Syme’s stroke, he is offered and accepts Syme’s professorship at Edinburgh.