This, combined with the fact that it took him 14 years to publish his findings made it easy for many to ignore his findings.Īt various times Dr Semmelweis has been ignored or condemned, or subjected to hero worship and hagiography.
Unfortunately, Dr Semmelweis’s abrupt and abrasive personality alienated many of the medical establishment including some of his earlier supporters. Secondly, it is a reminder that scientific understanding of causation does not always accompany insight.ĭr Semmelweis proved that taking precautions to prevent cadaveric contamination of recently delivered women led to a reduction in puerperal sepsis, but not ‘why’ or ‘how’. Microbiology, theories of germ transfer and other sciences of medicine became more familiar to me later, but I’d not critically revisited the role of Dr Semmelweis until recently.ĭr Nuland’s book is valuable on two fronts.įirstly, it provides background and insight into Dr Semmelweis himself which goes some way to explaining why his theory was not universally embraced even though it appeared to be proven in practice. I first became aware of Dr Ignac Semmelweis through reading ‘The Cry and the Covenant’ back in the early 1970s. Firstly, it provides background and insight into Dr Semmelweis himself which goes some way to explaining why his theory w Will the real Dr Semmelweis please stand up? Dr Nuland’s book is valuable on two fronts. Microbiology, theories of germ transfer and other sciences of medicine became more familiar to me later, but I’d not critically revisited the role of Dr Semmelweis until recently. Will the real Dr Semmelweis please stand up? I first became aware of Dr Ignac Semmelweis through reading ‘The Cry and the Covenant’ back in the early 1970s. While his simple reforms worked immediately-childbed fever in Vienna all but disappeared-they brought down upon Semmelweis the wrath of the establishment, and led to his tragic end.more With deaths from childbed fever exploding, Semmelweis discovered that doctors themselves were spreading the disease. In mid-nineteenth-century Vienna, however, this was a subversive idea. Ignác Semmelweis is remembered for the now-commonplace notion that doctors must wash their hands before examining patients. Nuland tells the strange story of Ignác Semmelweis with urgency and the insight gained from his own studies and clinical experience. In mid-nineteenth-century Vienna, however, this was a subversive ide Surgeon, scholar, best-selling author, Sherwin B. Surgeon, scholar, best-selling author, Sherwin B.
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