Antiseptic

Antiseptics (from Greek ἀντί "anti", "against" and σηπτικός "sēptikos", "putrefactive") are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction. Antiseptics are generally distinguished from "antibiotics" by the latter's ability to safely destroy bacteria within the body, and from "disinfectants", which destroy microorganisms found on non-living objects.
Some antiseptics are true "germicides", capable of destroying microbes (bacteriocidal), while others are bacteriostatic and only prevent or inhibit their growth.
Antibacterials include antiseptics that have the proven ability to act against bacteria. Microbicides which destroy virus particles are called viricides or antivirals. Antifungals, also known as antimycotics, are pharmaceutical fungicides used to treat and prevent mycosis (fungal infection).
Surgery.
The widespread introduction of antiseptic surgical methods was initiated by the publishing of the paper "Antiseptic Principle of the Practice of Surgery" in 1867 by Joseph Lister, which was inspired by Louis Pasteur's germ theory of putrefaction. In this paper, Lister advocated the use of carbolic acid (phenol) as a method of ensuring that any germs present were killed. Some of this work was anticipated by:
Some common antiseptics.
Antiseptics can be subdivided into about eight classes of materials. These classes can be subdivided according to their mechanism of action: small molecules that indescrimantly react with organic compounds and kill microorganisms (peroxides, iodine, phenols) and more complex molecules that disrupt the cell walls of the bacteria.