BIRTHPLACE OF MODEM SURGERY

Evening Star, Issue 17928, 25 March 1922, Page 10

BIRTHPLACE OF MODEM SURGERY

LORD LISTER’S WARD TO BE

DEMOLISHED.

The proposal of tho managers of thg Glasgow Royal Infirmary to demolish tipi I little ward in which Lord Lister mad© I his great discovery of the wee of Snti* I septics in surgery—and so created modori^ I surgery —was tho subject of Bomo strong I criticism by Pi-ofeesor Kennedy, profoiH j nor of surgery at Glasgow Univeiaifyt Professor Kennedy said'i “I have seen lottoia from many of tM, most outstanding surgeons from nil pa<n|. of the world urging tho retention of this 1 building. It is tlie chief aesst which makaS the Royal Infirmary an object of ©xtoonte interest all the world over. Quite opaais from its associations with deeds so iraVoWH itionising in surgery, an appeal might WT; made, perhaps with more success, to thor. purely commercial instincts, that it would, a if established as a museum for tht Listed ’ relics, bring to the infirmary from all parts strangers who never would damm Or visiting the infirmary for any other peso. . , “ Meantime the Lister Momoi’hd Com* mi too. its request having been rejected, has decided hot to follow the indication put forward by tho Royal Infirmary 14 spend the money on a statue or other ornamental memorial in tho grounds of the Royal Infirmary. The only reason why the memorial should bo in fie Royal Ifit; firm ary is because the actual ward.! is there!-, and if the ward is not to be thorp there is no purpose in selecting tine elte" for the memorial. This is tho view/ unanT rnousiy come to by tho Lister Memorial Committee. Meantime it has i>een do- - cided to spend the money in tho erectfrtj j of a seated statue to Lord Lister close to-; the seated statue -of his colleague, Lord Kelvin, in the Kelvingrove Park lb front of tho university of which he was a di£ languished, ornament. Wo hope that wiser councils may yet .prevail in the Royal Infirmary, and- that the managers may not foolishly throw away such a valuable asset ee the Lister Ward, and expose them l selves to world-wide contempt lor having committed an unparalleled fed Of Vandalism.”