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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec | 273 | 8 | 2.9 | 84 |
| Jan | 283 | 10 | 3.5 | 85 |
| Feb | 291 | 2 | 0.7 | 86 |
| Mar | 276 | 0 | 0.0 | 87 |
| Apr | 305 | 2 | 0.7 | 88 |
| Maj | 313 | 3 | 1.0 | 89 |
| Jun | 264 | 3 | 1.1 | 90 |
| Jul | 269 | 1 | 0.4 | 91 |
| Aug | 261 | 0 | 0.0 | 92 |
| Sep | 312 | 3 | 1.0 | 93 |
| Okt | 299 | 7 | 2.3 | 94 |
| Nov | 310 | 9 | 2.9 | 95 |
| Dec | 373 | 5 | 1.3 | 96 |
| Jan | 403 | 9 | 2.2 | 97 |
| Feb | 389 | 12 | 3.1 | 98 |
| Mar | 406 | 20 | 4.9 | 99 |