Ignaz Semmelweis

Ignaz Semmelweis (pronounced: IG-natz SEM-mel-vise) was a Hungarian physician and scientist, now known as an early pioneer of antiseptic procedures. His work has played a significant role in the development of medical hygiene.

Etymology

The name Ignaz is of Roman origin, derived from the Etruscan name 'Egnatius' meaning unknown. Semmelweis is a German surname, with 'Semmel' referring to a type of bread roll and 'Weis' meaning 'white' in German.

Life and Career

Ignaz Semmelweis was born on July 1, 1818, in Buda, now part of Budapest, Hungary. He received his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Vienna in 1844. Semmelweis is best known for his discovery of the causes of puerperal fever, also known as childbed fever, and his introduction of strict handwashing standards for doctors.

Contributions to Medicine

Semmelweis's observations led him to conclude that puerperal fever was contagious and that this incidence could drastically be reduced by appropriate hand hygiene by medical care-givers. He introduced the practice of washing hands with chlorinated lime solutions in 1847 while working in Vienna General Hospital's First Obstetrical Clinic, where doctors' wards had three times the mortality of midwives' wards.

Legacy

Despite various publications of results where hand washing reduced mortality to below 1%, Semmelweis's observations conflicted with the established scientific and medical opinions of the time and his ideas were rejected by the medical community. His practice earned widespread acceptance only years after his death, when Louis Pasteur confirmed the germ theory. In 1865, Semmelweis was committed to an asylum, where he died at age 47. His work is considered a seminal event in the history of infectious disease epidemiology.

Related Terms

• Antisepsis
• Epidemiology
• Puerperal Fever
• Hand Hygiene
• Germ Theory

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Ignaz Semmelweis
• Wikipedia's article - Ignaz Semmelweis

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