Many of Lister’s instructors still believed the microscope was not only superfluous to a study of surgery but also a threat to the medical establishment itself. Even with improvements like Joseph Jackson’s achromatic lens, the instrument continued to be regarded with suspicion by those within the medical community, many of whom lacked the skill and training to operate one effectively. What revelations did the microscope offer? Surely all relevant signs and symptoms could be observed with the naked eye. And could any of these microscopic discoveries actually lead to the effective treatment of
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