[2] One of Syme's closest students was Joseph Lister, with whom Tait would later have significant disputes over the rival practices of Antisepsis and Asepsis.

In 1862 Tait transferred to the Extramural School of Medicine and qualified in 1866 with the joint diploma of LRCPE, LRCSEd .

In addition, Tait devoted significant efforts towards supporting Arthur Chamberlain, who was working on developing a hospital exclusively for women.

He argued that there were four strong arguments against this practice: In a letter addressed to the Medical Press and Circular he wrote:[4] Some day I shall have a tombstone put over me, and an inscription upon it.

I want only one thing recorded on it, and that to the effect that he laboured to divert his profession from the blundering which has resulted from the performance of experiments on the sub-human groups of animal life, in the hope that they would shed light on the aberrant physiology of the human groups.Tait was suspicious of the prevailing practice of antisepsis, advocated for by Joseph Lister.

The two doctors agreed that it was necessary for surgeons to ensure that their hands and instruments were clean in order to reduce the risk of infection.

Tait was able to achieve exceptional results in his surgery using his techniques, as they were simple, low-cost, effective, and not limited by the presence of chemicals.

Due to his lifelong history of advocating for new techniques and against common practices (e.g. vivisection and antisepsis), there were many who saw him as an enemy and a nuisance.

The first of these was a lawsuit from Andrew Denholm, and the second was a threat to bring action against Tait for supposedly seducing a nurse.

Many younger doctors respected and admired him, and he regularly contributed to meetings at several Medical Institutions.

[5] At the time of his death, several of his contemporaries published writings in praise of his medical advances, character, and work at hospitals for poor women.