Which British surgeon introduced carbolic acid as an antiseptic in surgery?

The British surgeon who introduced carbolic acid as an antiseptic in surgery was Joseph Lister.

Working at Glasgow Royal Infirmary in the 1860s, Lister reasoned that wound infection and putrefaction were caused by microorganisms. He was influenced by Louis Pasteur's work on fermentation and applied the same germ-based explanation to surgical wounds. Lister used carbolic acid, now called phenol, to disinfect instruments, dressings, wounds, patients' skin, and parts of the operating environment.

His antiseptic system sharply reduced infections after operations, especially in compound fractures, which previously carried a high risk of gangrene and death. Lister published his results in a series of papers in The Lancet between 1867 and 1869, although many surgeons initially resisted the technique.

Lister is sometimes confused with later pioneers of aseptic surgery, which emphasizes preventing microbes from entering the operating field through sterilization and controlled technique. Lister's original approach was antiseptic: it actively used a chemical agent to kill or inhibit microorganisms already present. Carbolic acid sprays were later abandoned because they could irritate skin and damage tissue.