The Lister Society Medal

I was checking out one of the local auction sites and discovered they were auctioning off a Lister Society medal from a meeting that was held here in Baltimore in May of 1993. There is not a ton of information about the Lister Society, although I know there is a local group, because I presented to them a few years ago.

I do know who Lister is, and you might get a clue because of the popular mouthwash, Listerine! Joseph Lister, Baron Lister of Lyme Regis (5 April 1827 – 10 February 1912), was a British surgeon, medical scientist, experimental pathologist and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery and preventative medicine. 

Lister revolutionised the craft of surgery and promoted the idea of sterile surgery while working at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary. He successfully introduced carbolic acid to sterilize surgical instruments and to clean wounds. Once his ideas were generally adapted, infection rates dropped dramatically.

Coincidentally, the medal is being auctioned off on the 110th anniversary of Lister's death. The link to the listing is here. UPDATE: The medal sold for $425 + 25% buyer's premium + tax. 

From Member, Dr. Harry Knipp:

The Lister Society has been in existence since its founding in 1907 as the Bayview Medical Society. Membership is limited to 25 physicians. While the majority of members are University of Maryland Medical School grads, that's not a requirement.

In the past, when a membership position became available, members would invite a prospective colleague to give a medical talk at a monthly meeting. If after this audition, said physician was deemed acceptable for membership, a closed vote requiring unanimous approval was undertaken.

Now, with such variations in sub-specialties, the medical talks proved less interesting and our speakers each month are gleaned from our varied contacts… and we've had no shortage of amazing presentations, as you well know. 

When there's an opening, prospective new members are invited as guests to a meeting or two and if there's mutual interest, they're voted in. We've had amazing speakers over the years from shuttle astronauts to D Day veterans to cartoonists to opera stars to newspaper editors to Lincoln assassination experts to Hubble scientists and many, many more.