Research Paper

Johnson & Johnson: First to Aid in Surgery

It would be difficult to picture a time where you or a loved one had to have a surgery, without the reassurance that the procedure would be helping the cause. This troubling thought was soon changed by three ambitious brothers who created the first mass production of sterile surgical tools so that doctors didn’t have to reuse the instruments from patient to patient. The brothers continued to form their company, aiming to help the public. While collecting the fame from making safe procedures possible, the Johnson brothers used the opportunity to create products that would catch the eye of ordinary citizens. With one being an inventor, one being an expert in sales, and one being a dynamic leader, they succeeded in forming the perfect company. Robert, James, and Edward Johnson’s aid to the world changed the history of safe surgery and general care by saving millions of lives and spreading the information world-wide to save millions more.

Early Life and Childhood

On February 20, 1845, Robert Wood Johnson was born into the family of Sylvester Johnson lll and Francis Louisa Wood in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. He originally was born with seven siblings at hand but soon became the 8th child out of eleven. Robert had no education other than his personal experiences, and the community schools in Carbondale Pennsylvania and Wyoming Seminary when he was younger. Two of his younger brothers: James Wood Johnson, born on March 17, 1856, and Edward Mead Johnson, born on April 23, 1852, were both raised in the same footsteps as Robert, and the three of them would later be seen as co-workers in the future. As the Civil War broke out, the 16-year-old boy’s safety was a concern. Robert was immediately moved to New York with a member of his extended family and was an apprentice at a pharmacy known as Wood and Tittamer (Gurowitz, “Robert Wood Johnson”). His experience with medicine created a newfound love for aiding the less fortunate. The three men shared the same vision of forming a business that would ultimately assist people in their everyday lives. This led them to make history when he teamed up to make Johnson & Johnson: a life saving company.

Beginnings

Under the influence of Joseph Lister, Robert Wood Johnson, along with his brothers James Wood Johnson and Edward Mead Johnson, formed the company known as Johnson & Johnson (Blake). This afresh company began its profession by manufacturing ready-to-use surgical dressings, so doctors could perform safer surgery on their patients (Blake). One day while the brothers were still hardly known, Robert wood Johson was informed about the risks that railroad workers were taking because of how distant medical attention was (Ahern). The brother’s distress for this situation led to the brothers formulating the original First-Aid-Kit (Blake). Johnson & Johnson saved many lives with the sterile surgical tools, but their First-Aid-Kit is what truly put their name in the spotlight. The travel-size appliances quickly went far beyond assisting rail-road workers. The average person thought of this innovation as a perfect way to heal minor wounds, and prevent any more damage. The three brothers took advantage of this situation and began to design products specified towards certain causes, like maternity and childbirth kits (Blake). Before James, Robert, and Edward were famously known for their own creations, they were assembling a company based on the research of Joseph Lister. To make a name for themselves, the Johson brothers had to ignore Lister’s knowledge, to construct more efficient techniques for sterilization (Reed).

Accomplishment

When Robert, James, and Edward Johnson first organized their company, their only hired hands were a total of seven men and seven women. This scarcity of employees created a challenge for the three brothers. The Johnsons were aware that they would never be able to sustain a business without more help. Because of this, the primary project for the fourteen workers was to construct mechanisms, with the capability of producing sterile surgical tools. The machines made history for the brothers, by making them the first to manufacture a mass production of safe surgery instruments. This success kept the company moving forward, leading them to invent the First-Aid-Kit (Gurowiz, “125 Years Ago”). Along with the kit, Robert, James, and Edward introduced a book, proposing new techniques and procedures for the medical world. The book, called “Modern Methods of Antiseptic Wound Treatment,” was not commonly used by the average person, but could be found in the hands of doctors and surgeons across the United States. After Johnson & Johnson’s grand entrance into the Health Care business, they began making what the company is currently recognized for. This included dental floss, as well as baby oils, shampoos, and powders. The brothers also continued to produce safe-surgery products (Reed). There is no doubt that Robert was terrified when he had to move his life to a different part of the county for his protection. This young teen’s trust in his family’s decision led him to an apprenticeship that kicked off his career. This is the reason that Robert, Edward, and a man with the name of George J. Seabury first began their own company, named Seabury and Johnson, before the creation of Johnson & Johnson. Though their former company was successful, when George’s view contradicted the brothers’, Robert knew he had to follow his own path. (Gurowitz, “Seabury & Johnson”) It is hard to picture immediately jumping at the opportunity to start a potentially successful company. They must have been self-conscious of the risks that bringing another company would create. If their business would have failed, the Johnsons would have been left with nothing. Although their decision was quite the gamble, Robert and Edward’s bravery was shown when they took a leap at their new idea, which quickly became one of the most world-renowned medical businesses there is.

Impact on the World

The wheels of change started turning when Sylvester and Francis Johnson’s parenting instincts led to sending Robert away to Wood & Tattimer. This decision might have succeeded in saving him from the tragedies of the Civil War, but it also gave him a love for a new passion: the field of pharmaceuticals. A small spark of interest was stoked by working with his aunt at a pharmacy and grew into a roaring fire of drive and determination that eventually led to Robert’s fervency for helping the ill. This burning passion eventually saved millions of lives when the three brothers formed the first mass-produced line of safe surgery tools. Because of this, there became a smaller chance of infections during procedures. In addition, this breakthrough inspired more companies to follow in Johnson & Johnson’s footsteps by manufacturing sterile surgical instruments to save millions of more people. Without the inspiration sparked by the Johnson brothers, how many more patients would have perished before a different company developed the technology? We can only guess that number would be far too great. Because the three Johnson brothers lived, medical companies around the world, including their own, are still providing crucial entities to spare the lives of the less fortunate (Ahern).

Lessons Learned from their Life

Robert was an excellent leader and generous person. He made his best effort to aid the less fortunate. His effort to help drove him to produce products for safe surgery and make first aid kits for the railroad workers that get no medical help. Edward was an impressive salesman and stayed by his brothers’ side, even when he and Robert worked for Seabury & Johnson. Edward had to use his talent to manage the company’s marketing to keep Johnson & Johnson at the top. Although the other two brothers could take credit for running the company, you must take into account the person inside the four walls of the business. The third brother, James Wood Johnson was a critical thinker and an extremely intelligent man. It was because of this that Johnson & Johnson was able to make their ideas happen. Studying the life of the three brothers has taught me of being self-confident in my ideas and striving to achieve them. If you are passionate about your cause to make a difference, your commitment will drive you to success. If Robert never had the will to help people, would Johnson & Johson even be a company today? If Edward held back from being the superior salesman that he was, would the business have the customer support that they needed to survive? Lastly, If James selfishly hoarded his creative thinking and not shared his ideas, where would the medical world be now. How many more people would have suffered, without the sibling trio’s enthusiasm for their ideas. The risks that the men took to make Johnson & Johnson what it is today, create a perfect example of why you should believe in your purpose and make your best efforts to achieve them. Robert, James, and Edward Johnson made an exemplary team and were role models for millions of people. From the humble beginnings of their fourteen employee business, the brothers grew a multimillion-dollar corporation. This exhibits how much determination and perseverance they displayed. The men were able to reach their goal and become a favorable company. Their determination sets an example, showing that where you start from has no bearing on the greatness you can achieve.

Works Cited

Ahern, Katlin. “The 1888 Johnson & Johnson Manual That Changed Surgery for the Better.” Johnson & Johnson, 3 May. 2018, jnj.com/our-heritage/how-johnson-johnson-helped-change-the-history-of-sterile-surgery, Accessed 20 Jan. 2021.

---. “Band of Brothers: Meet the Innovative Men Who Founded Johnson & Johnson in 1886.” Johnson & Johnson, 6 Feb. 2019, jnj.com/our-heritage/meet-the-innovative-brothers-who-founded-johnson-johnson-in-1886, Accessed 20 Jan. 2021.

Blake, Hannah. “A History of Johnson & Johnson.” pharmaphorum, 26 June 2013, pharmaphorum.com/articles/a-history-of-johnson-johnson, Accessed 20 Jan. 2021.

Gurowitz, Margaret. “125 Years Ago: Johnson & Johnson Opens its Doors.”Kilmer House, 8 Feb. 2011, kilmerhouse.com/2011/02/125-years-ago-johnson-johnson-opens-its-doors, Accessed 23 Mar. 2021.

---. “Robert Wood Johnson.” Kilmer House, 23 Jan. 2007, kilmerhouse.com/2007/01/the-johnson-brothers, Accessed 1 Feb 2021.

---. “Seabury & Johnson.” Kilmer House, , 2 Oct. 2009, kilmerhouse.com/2009/10/seabury-johnson, Accessed 5 May 2021

Reed, Eric. “History of Johnson & Johnson; Timeline and Facts,” TheStreet, , 24 Feb. 2020, thestreet.com/personal-finance/history-of-johnson-and-johnson, Accessed 20 Jan 2021.