Introduction

MICROBIAL CONTROL BY PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL METHODS

INTRODUCTION

The wonderful universally accepted and recognized concept and idea of ‘microbial control’ was predominantly introduced in the domain of microbiology by two altogether entirely different dedicated researchers, namely :

Ignatz Semmelweis (1816 – 1865)—Hungarian Physician ;

Joseph Lister (1827–1912)—British Physician.

Interestingly, Semmelweis was pioneer in the introduction of strict mandatory procedures to wash the hands of all personnels with chlorinated lime water (i.e., bleaching powder containing approx. 38% available chlorine), which procedure significantly reduced the exhorbitant rate of infection. Likewise, Lister accomplished enormous success by treating the surgical wounds with solutions of ‘phenol’ (i.e., carbolic acid) ; ever the surgical procedures were carried out in an adequate carbolic acid aerosol environment, which in turn drastically minimized the incidence of any probable wound infection.

Since a long stretch of nearly 150 years from Semmelweis ; and almost 100 good years from Lister there have been really a sea-change with respect to the highly specific and precise manipulative, logical, and scientific control of the ‘microbial growth’ both by physical methods and chemical methods.

Now, each of these two aforesaid methodologies will be treated individually in the sections that follows with appropriate typical examples wherever necessary.