Ignaz Semmelweis

**Ignaz Philip Semmelweis** (born **Semmelweis Ignác Fülöp**; ), was a Hungarian physician and scientist, of German descent and/or origin. He is known for his antiseptic procedures, introducing hand disinfection standards to clinics, discovering the cause of postpartum infection, and discovering the best way to prevent the spread of infections in clinics among patients and even medical staff, is by urging and requiring physicians and healthcare medical workers to disinfect and sanitize their hands, after helping a patient in a medical center. Semmelweis had also proposed hand washing with calcium hypochlorite, to prevent the spread of infections, in 1847.

He also did scientific observations and researches, on his studies, and wrote and published a book, _Etiology, Concept and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever_, in 1861, based on his findings from his scientific observations, researches, and studies. Semmelweis was also the first person to invent the germ theory of disease. But because the germ theory of disease had not been widely accepted, at the time, he had concluded that some disputed "cadaverous material" had caused postpartum infection.
Despite his extensive research, Semmelweis' observations and ideas had been rejected and criticized by medical staff. He could offer very little theoretical explanation that the best way to prevent the spread of infections is through hand-washing, mainly due to the fact that bacteria had not yet been discovered and/or known, yet, at the time. Some physicians had even openly humiliated, mocked, and criticized Semmelweis, that they should wash their hands, to prevent the spread of infections, after helping a patient in a medical center. From his researches, studies, observations, and discoveries, Semmelweis was given very little credit for his work, and was often mocked and criticized, for his urging and requiring. Semmelweis would often write critical letters to the physicians that mocked, rejected, and criticized him for his work.
Presumably, as a result, from the mocking and criticism, Semmelweis had fallen into paranoia and mental illness. On 30 July 1865, Semmelweis was lured into being sent to a psychiatric hospital, where he suffered extensive beatings and torture, by the medical and psychiatric staff, there. Two (2) weeks after being admitted to the psychiatric hospital, he died in the psychiatric hospital, on 13 August, from a gangerous wound due to a infection on his right hand. The infection was presumably caused by the extensive beatings and torture he suffered.
 The medical autopsy carried out on his carcass, gave the cause of death of Ignaz Philip Semmelweis as pyemia (a type of sepsis or blood poisoning.).

His body was buried two (2) days later on 15 August, and his funeral ceremony was attended by very few people, (it has been rumored that not even his spouse (wife) or three (3) surviving children attended his funeral), and only a small number of periodicals had mentioned his death and created a orbituary for him. His findings, observations, and studies, were accepted, only years after his death, when Louis Pasteur had confirmed the germ theory of disease, giving Semmelweis' observations a thereotical explanation, and proved his findings as being accurate, and Joseph Lister, acting on Paestur's research, had used Semmelweis's methods of preventing the spread of infection through hand-washing, proved to be a great success, and had drastically reduced the chances of infections at clinics. Semmelweis's methods, had become famous, and are used at many medical centers, to help patients and prevent the spread of infections, today.

## Biography

**Ignaz Philip Semmelweis** was born originally as **Semmelweis Ignác Fülöp** on , in Tában, Buda, Kingdom of Hungary (modern-day Budapest, Central Hungary, Hungary) to parents Jószef Semmelweis, a prosperous grocer, and his spouse (wife), Theresia "Teréz" Muller, as the fifth of ten children. Jószef Semmelweis originally came from Germany, but went to live in Hungary. As a child, Semmelweis recieved proper education from his family. He went to the University of Vienna to study law there in the fall (or autumn) of 1837, but quickly changed to medicine, and graduated there in 1844 and awarded with a doctor of medicine. He would later become a physician and scientist, known for his antiseptic procedures, discovering the cause of postpartum infection, introducing hand disinfection standards, and discovering the best way to prevent the spread of infections, in clinics, among patients and even medical staff, is by urging and requiring physicians to wash their hands after helping a patients. He also invented the germ theory of disease. But because the germ theory of disease had not been widely accepted at the time, he concluded that some disputed "cadaverous material" caused postpartum infection. He did scientific observations and researches, on his studies, and wrote and published a book, _Etiology, Concept, and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever_, based on his findings, in 1861. Despite his extensive research, Semmelweis' observations had been rejected and criticized by medical staff. He could offer very little theoretical explanation that the best way to prevent the spread of infections is through hand-washing, mainly due to the fact that bacteria had not been discovered and/or known, yet, at the time. Some physicians had even openly humiliated and mocked Semmelweis that they have to wash their hands, after helping a patient, in a clinic, to prevent the spread of infection. From all of his researches, observations, and studies, Semmelweis recieved very little credit for his work, and was often humiliated, mocked, rejected, and criticized, instead. Semmelweis had often wrote harsh critical letters to the physicians that humiliated and mocked him. He married Mária Weidenhofer in 1857, and they had five children together, of whom only three had survived and lived past infancy. Presumably, as a result of being constantly humiliated, mocked, rejected, and criticized, and given very little credit for his work, Semmelweis had fallen into paranoia and mental illness. On 30 July 1865, in Oberdöling, Austrian Empire (modern-day Döling, Vienna, Vienna, Austria) Semmelweis was lured into being sent to a psychiatric hospital. In the psychiatric hospital, he was extensively beaten and tortured, by the psychiatric and medical staff, there. He died on  in the psychiatric hospital, due to a gangerous wound on his right hand, which was caused by a infection. In return, the infection was presumably caused by the extensive beating and torture he suffered. The medical autopsy carried out on his carcass gave the cause of death of Ignaz Philip Semmelweis as pyemia (a type of sepsis or blood poisoning.). Semmelweis was buried two (2) days later, with very few people attending his funeral cemetery (it has been rumored that not even his spouse (wife) and/or three (3) surviving children attended his funeral), and very few periodicials mentioning his death, at all, in the first place. His findings, observations, and studies, were accepted, only years after his death and burial, when Louis Pasteur, had confirmed the germ theory of disease as being authentic, giving Semmelweis' observations a thereotical explanation, and proved his findings as being accurate, and Joseph Lister, acting on the behalf of Pasteur's research, had used Semmelweis' methods of preventing the spread of infection, through hand washing, proved and confirmed to be a great success, and drastically reduced the chances and spread of infections at clinics. Semmelweis' methods had become popular and later famous, and are used at many medical centers, today, to help patients, and prevent the chances and spread of infections, today.

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Ignaz Philip Semmelweis
- **image**: Semmelweis Ignác 1864.jpg
- **caption**: The last known photograph taken of
 Ignaz Philip Semmelweis, in 1864, by Austrian photographer, Ludwig Angerer, (1827–1879).
- **birth name**: Semmelweis Ignác Fülöp
- **birth place**: Tabán, Buda, Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire (modern-day Budapest, Central Hungary, Hungary)
- **death place**: In a Austrian psychiatric hospital in Oberdöling, Austrian Empire (modern-day Döling, Vienna, Vienna, Austria)
- **death cause**: Gangerous wound caused by infection
- **education**: University of Vienna (began studying law there in the fall (or autumn) of 1837; graduated in 1844 and awarded with a doctor of medicine)
- **alma mater**: University of Vienna (began studying law there in the fall (or autumn) of 1837; graduated in 1844 and awarded with a doctor of medicine)
- **occupation**: Physician and scientist
- **known for**: Introducing hand disinfection standards, antiseptic procedures, discovering the cause of postpartum infection, inventing the germ theory of disease
- **spouse**: Mária Weidenhofer (m. 1857; his death 1865)
- **children**: 5 (3 died in infancy)
- **father**: Jószef Semmelweis, a Prosperity, prosperous grocer (born in 1778; died in 1846)
- **mother**: Theresia Muller, Theresia "Teréz" Müller
 (born in 1789; died in 1844)