Historical mortality rates of puerperal fever Monthly mortality rates for birthgiving women 1841-1849 Puerperal fever 
 mortality rates for birthgiving women at the first clinic at the 
 Vienna General Hospital 
 1841-1849 reported by 
 Semmelweis 
 . He devised and instituted a handwashing policy by mid-May 1847. His employment was terminated March 20, 1849

| Month_ | Births | Deaths | Rate_ | Sort_restore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar | 311 | 48 | 15.4 | 63 |
| Apr | 253 | 48 | 19.0 | 64 |
| Maj | 305 | 41 | 13.4 | 65 |
| Jun | 266 | 27 | 10.2 | 66 |
| Jul | 252 | 33 | 13.1 | 67 |
| Aug | 216 | 39 | 18.1 | 68 |
| Sep | 271 | 39 | 14.4 | 69 |
| Okt | 254 | 38 | 15.0 | 70 |
| Nov | 297 | 32 | 10.8 | 71 |
| Dec | 298 | 16 | 5.4 | 72 |
| Jan | 311 | 10 | 3.2 | 73 |
| Feb | 312 | 6 | 1.9 | 74 |
| Mar | 305 | 11 | 3.6 | 75 |
| Apr | 312 | 57 | 18.3 | 76 |
| Maj | 294 | 36 | 12.2 | 77 |
| Jun | 268 | 6 | 2.2 | 78 |
| Jul | 250 | 3 | 1.2 | 79 |
| Aug | 264 | 5 | 1.9 | 80 |
| Sep | 262 | 12 | 4.6 | 81 |
| Okt | 278 | 11 | 4.0 | 82 |
| Nov | 246 | 11 | 4.5 | 83 |