Instant Access To 100,000+ Essays!

Antiseptics. The world would still be, for the most part, completely disease ridden if not for these miracle substances. Antiseptic use can be traced back to nearly 500 BC, where the Persians were the first to initiate the use of chemical disinfections. In ancient days, drinkable water was stored in copper pots in order to keep it sterile. Treatment to wounds would also involve the application of wines and vinegar to the exterior of the wound. In the Dark Ages, the Arabs applied mercuric chloride to the injuries of the wounded. Sterilization is also referred to in the Bible, in the book of Leviticus. The peoples of that time were noted for using heat to sterilize their food. (History of Antiseptics, 1/10/03) The most gigantic leap in the advancement of antiseptics, however, has occurred within the past five centuries. This began with the work of Antoine Van Leewenhoek, a Dutch microscopist. With his microscope, Leewenhoek first observed microscopic life forms in the 1650’s. Leewenhoek, however, did not realize that these microscopic organisms could not spontaneously generate. (Microbiology Lecture Notes, 1/10/03) Francesco Redi, performed an