Wine glass used by Joseph Lister as a culture glass

Wine glass used by Lister as a culture glass, with glass display dome or dust cover (with fake plaster)

This wine glass was possibly used by Joseph Lister as a culture glass. The glass dome protects the culture from dust, micro-organisms and other contaminants in the air. British surgeon, Joseph Lister (1827-1912) experimented with ideas about infection, often assisted by his wife, Agnes. Using household items and specially made glassware, he noticed that urine exposed to air decomposes, while urine not exposed to air remains intact. Lister concluded that something in the air, what we know now are germs, caused infection. He trialled cleaning surgical instruments and wounds with pungent, yellow carbolic acid, on his wards at Glasgow Hospital. His tests significantly lowered infection rates, with more patients surviving their surgeries. He named the process antisepsis. Some surgeons started to use Lister’s disinfectant technique, but many questioned his approach.