Sinclair, Sir William J.: Semmelweis. His Life and his Doctrine (Manchester, 1909)
V. Life in Buda-Pesth
VIRCHOW dies of puerperal fever or pyaemia in my sense of the term, has never menstruated, has never conceived, nor ever become pregnant, and yet he dies of the same disease of which the lying-in woman dies, . . . and my doctrine is not based on the art of putting a stop to menstruation, conception, and pregnancy. “ Pregnancy supplies for puerperal fever nothing except an absorbing surface.............In the lying-in woman the absorbing surface brings no puerperal fever when this surface is not rendered unclean by a decomposed material, and the unessential nature of the internal absorbing surface for the production of puerperal fever is proved by this fact that the smallest injury in any part of the male or female body may be sufficient to produce the disease.” “ Virchow' says : For the occurrence of puerperal fever epidemics two conditions of interest are essential : the state of the weather, and the occurrence of certain diseases simultaneously. In regard to the first, it appears that the largest number of epidemics occur in the winter months. To the simultaneous diseases belong the acute exanthemata, the extensive spread of erysipelatous, croupous, putrid and purulent inflammations. “It is quite correct that the largest number of epidemics occur in the winter months, not because of the weather conditions of the winter, but because the winter is the time when occupation with decomposed animal matter is chiefly carried on.” [Reference is made here to Table XIX., p. 120, as a demonstration that the state of the weather does not exercise any influence in the production of puerperal fever.] “ It is also quite correct that puerperal fever occurs simultaneously with acute exanthemata, with widespread erysipelatous, croupous, putrid, and purulent inflammations, and the cause of this simultaneous occurrence is that such patients are treated by the same medical practitioners and midwives as treat medically and nurse pregnant, parturient and puerperal women.” 167
