In the mid-19th century, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian physician, made a groundbreaking and life-saving discovery.
He discovered that handwashing—an essential practice we still follow today—could significantly cut down the spread of puerperal fever, a dangerous and widespread illness affecting women after childbirth.
Despite presenting well-supported and persuasive evidence, his conclusions faced strong opposition from the medical community of that era.
Semmelweis, unfortunately, ended up in an asylum where he passed away. His groundbreaking work on antiseptic procedures was only recognized posthumously, but it laid the groundwork for modern infection control practices.
In the mid-19th century, approximately 0.5% of women experienced fatal outcomes during home births or deliveries conducted by midwives.
Despite advancements in healthcare, the maternal mortality rate in top maternity hospitals across Europe and America was still 10 to 20 times greater. The primary cause of these fatalities was puerperal fever, commonly referred to as childbed fever.
The condition was severe and advanced quickly, leading to high fevers, intense lower abdominal discomfort, and foul-smelling discharge from the birth canal. These symptoms emerged within just 24 hours of the baby’s delivery.
In the past, medical students and doctors at these hospitals began their mornings by conducting autopsies on women who had recently succumbed to childbed fever. These procedures were carried out without the use of gloves. Following these examinations, the medical professionals would proceed to the maternity wards to aid women in childbirth.
In 1846, Dr. Semmelweis was assigned to the less prestigious obstetrics department at Vienna General Hospital, largely due to his background and religious affiliations. At the time, childbed fever was claiming the lives of nearly one-third of his patients. Determined to uncover the cause of this deadly condition, Dr. Semmelweis embarked on a rigorous investigation to solve this medical enigma.
Dr. Semmelweis discovered that puerperal fever was linked to doctors transferring harmful bacteria from dissected corpses to women in childbirth. Today, we identify this bacteria as Group A hemolytic streptococcus.
While he was not the first doctor to reach this conclusion, he was the pioneer in advising his medical students in 1847 to use a chlorinated lime solution for handwashing until the odor of decomposing bodies was eliminated.
Maternal mortality rates experienced a significant decline in a short period.
Despite the clear success of handwashing, many of his peers dismissed his ideas. They were outraged by the implication that they might have been responsible for their patients’ deaths.
As Semmelweis faced mounting criticism, his frustration grew. He openly confronted some of the hospital’s leading doctors, hurling insults and exhibiting unprofessional behavior. This conduct, deemed unacceptable in a medical environment, ultimately led to his dismissal.
In 1850, he secretly returned to his hometown of Budapest, keeping his departure a secret. Known for his immense stubbornness, he chose not to release his work until 1861.
In July 1865, Semmelweis’s condition worsened, leading to his admission to a mental asylum. Just two weeks after this event, he passed away at the age of 47.
There are theories suggesting that his mental health crisis might have been triggered by an experiment where he deliberately infected himself with syphilis, or alternatively, he could have been suffering from an early form of Alzheimer’s disease.
He probably suffered abuse in the asylum and ultimately passed away from sepsis, a bloodstream infection that was strikingly similar to the childbed fever he had dedicated his efforts to preventing in women.
