96 THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
the chair of clinical surgery in Edinburgh, and Lister was elected
in his place. The year 1871 saw Queen Victoria suffering from
an abscess in the armpit, and Lister, then Surgeon in Ordinary
to her Majesty in Scotland, Was called to Balmoral to operate,
which he did successfully, the Queen complimenting him by
saying "a most disagreeable duty most agreeably performed."
He was invited to fill the chair of Clinical Surgery at King's
College Hospital in 1877, and accepted. The following year he
was appointed Surgeon in Ordinary to Queen Victoria and a
baronetcy was bestowed upon him in 1883. In 1892 he retired
under the age limit from King's College Hospital. While on
holiday in Italy in the spring of 1893 his wife died, and he
brought the body back to England for burial. From 1895 to
1900 he was president of the Royal Society, succeeding Lord
Kelvin in that position. He was raised to the peerage in 1897, the
year of Queen Victoria's second jubilee. In 1903 his health began
to fail, and, although many honours were bestowed upon him,
his active work was practically done, and he died on 10 February,
1912, in his 86th year. A funeral service was held in Westminster
Abbey on 16 February, but he was buried by the side of his wife
in West Hampstead cemetery. All his long life Lister wrote
articles, delivered lectures, defended himself and his system
against attacks and took part in some very bitter medical
controversies. To him is largely due the cleanliness prevailing
in our hospitals to-day, and the improved conditions under
which surgeons work. The conditions were then appalling: to
quote Dr. Dukes:
"When Lister was a student the operating theatre at
"University College Hospital was a small room containing
"merely an instrument cupboard, a wooden table, and a
"single gas jet, with one small washing basin. The surgeon
"instead of taking off his coat and being apparelled in steam
"sterilised overalls and cap, as is now the custom, used for
"his work an old operating coat that lasted for many years
"without washing, which finally was so dirty and stained
"with blood and other discharges as to present an appearance
"that must have been alarming. But the owner was proud
"of it; the worse it became the more did it proclaim to
"onlookers the wide experience of the surgeon who wore it.
"The ligatures of to-day are kept in sterilised fluid in sealed