Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
Lis·ter bag Variant:
also Lys·ter bag /'lis-t&r-"bag/ Function:
noun : a canvas water bag used especially forsupplying troops with chemically treated drinking water
Lyster, William John Le Hunte (1869–1947), American army surgeon. Lyster had a career as a surgeon in the U.S.Army medical corps. Interested in the field of public health, he began experiments in water purification with the use of sodium hypochlorite. In 1917 he introduced a rubber-lined heavy canvas bag witha tight-fitting cover. A dose of chlorine solution added to the water effected purification within 30 minutes. The Lister bag quickly became a standard piece of army equipment and was used extensivelyin both world wars.
