††††A disinfectant is any substance that is used to kill bacteria and the other microorganisms that cause disease.
In 1865, Englishman Joseph Lister introduced the use of disinfectant during surgery. The disinfectant he used, phenol, had a dramatic effect on the success of operations, cutting the death rate from 45 percent to just 15.
Hygiene and the use of disinfectant is now very widespread, not just in surgery but in many aspects of daily life.
