Joseph Lister

Hello! My name is Joseph Lister. I was born a long, long time ago in the year 1827. When I was a little boy, my father had a special looking glass called a microscope. It made tiny things look very big! I loved looking at little dewdrops and the pretty petals on flowers. I was always very curious and wanted to know how everything worked.

When I grew up, I became a doctor. I loved helping people feel better and get well. But I noticed something that made me very sad. Sometimes, after I helped someone with a boo-boo, they would get sick with a fever. I did not understand why this happened, but I knew I had to find a way to stop it so everyone could stay healthy.

I learned about tiny, invisible things called germs that can make people sick. I thought, 'What if germs are getting into the boo-boos?'. I had a big idea! In the year 1867, I started making everything super clean. I cleaned my hands, my tools, and even the air with a special spray before I helped anyone. And guess what? It worked! People stopped getting sick after I helped them.

I lived to be 84 years old, and I spent my whole life teaching other doctors how to be super clean, too. I lived until the year 1912. Today, when you go to the doctor, they wash their hands and use clean tools to keep you safe and healthy, all thanks to my big idea!