Syringe used by Joseph Lister in his experiments on the souring of milk, United Kingdom, 1871-1878
- Made:
- 1871-1878 in United Kingdom
This image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Licence
Buy this image as a print
BuyLicense this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library
LicenseSyringe used by Joseph Lister in experiments on the souring of
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Syringe used by Joseph Lister in experiments on the souring of
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
Syringe used by Joseph Lister in experiments on the souring of milk, c. 1878
This glass syringe was used by Joseph Lister (1827-1912) in his experiments on the souring of milk. He discovered that milk straight from the animal is generally free from bacteria. But when examining sour milk he found that the micro-organisms present were of a type which he had previously named Bacterium lactis. The syringe could measure one or more hundredths of a minim – a minim being 0.062 ml. Such accurate measurements meant that Lister could calculate the number of bacteria in as little as one fiftieth of a minim. Lister’s work on the souring of milk is rarely mentioned as it is normally eclipsed by his work on antisepsis.
Details
- Category:
- Microbiology
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A600316
- Materials:
- barrel and nozzle, glass, piston & handle, metal and mounts, metal
- Measurements:
-
overall: 23 mm x 222 mm x 26 mm, .05kg
- type:
- syringe
