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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 254 | 37 | 14.6 | 1 |
| Feb | 239 | 18 | 7.5 | 2 |
| Mar | 277 | 12 | 4.3 | 3 |
| Apr | 255 | 4 | 1.6 | 4 |
| Maj | 255 | 2 | 0.8 | 5 |
| Jun | 200 | 10 | 5.0 | 6 |
| Jul | 190 | 16 | 8.4 | 7 |
| Aug | 222 | 3 | 1.4 | 8 |
| Sep | 213 | 4 | 1.9 | 9 |
| Okt | 236 | 26 | 11.0 | 10 |
| Nov | 235 | 53 | 22.6 | 11 |
| Dec | na | na | na | 12 |
| Jan | 307 | 64 | 20.8 | 13 |
| Feb | 311 | 38 | 12.2 | 14 |
| Mar | 264 | 27 | 10.2 | 15 |
| Apr | 242 | 26 | 10.7 | 16 |
| Maj | 310 | 10 | 3.2 | 17 |
| Jun | 273 | 18 | 6.6 | 18 |
| Jul | 231 | 48 | 20.8 | 19 |
| Aug | 216 | 55 | 25.5 | 20 |