Lister, true to his Quaker roots, exhibited an unusual level of compassion for those on his wards. He refused to use the word “case” when referring to specific patients, choosing instead to call them “this poor man” or “this good woman.” He also recommended to his students that they use “technical words” so that “nothing was said or suggested that could in any way cause them anxiety or alarm”—something that would undoubtedly be viewed as unethical today but was born purely of compassion when Lister suggested it.
