ABSTRACT

The use of chemicals to prevent or retard microbial contamination is believed to date back to the origins of microbiology as a science. Joseph Lister, an English surgeon, is credited with introducing in 1867 the use of phenol (carbolic acid) to decrease the probability of infections [1]. However, the need for cleanliness takes us back to biblical times and around 800 BC; sulfur dioxide was the first reported disinfectant per historical reviews by Seymour Block [2]. Interestingly, it can be concluded that the control of microorganisms (unknowingly) via chemicals preceded the birth of microbiology as a science.