Sinclair, Sir William J.: Semmelweis. His Life and his Doctrine (Manchester, 1909)

VI. Publication or "Die Aetiologie"

26o ST. PETERSBURG MEDICAL SOCIETY

would no doubt have much influence with many of the members.

Hugenberger introduced the discussion by reading a paper on “Puerperal Fever in the Midwives’ Institute from 1845 to 1859.” The discussion which followed was as important in every way as that of the Paris Academy of Medicine in 1858.

Hugenberger proved by his statistics that the average mortality in the Midwives’ Institute was 3‘8 per cent., while during the same period the average mortality within the municipal boundaries of St. Petersburg was 0 7 per cent.

“If we formulate our conclusions,’’ said Hugenberger, “regarding the most important causes of puerperal fever in the Hebammeninstitute, we see that the three sources of infection according to Semmelweis, are the principal; the rest of the cases are probably mere exceptions.”

It became apparent in the course of the discussion that there were many warm supporters of Semmelweis among the members, the most influential of whom was v. Grünewald. Only two members were steadfast supporters of the pathology according to Kiwisch, and maintained that puerperal fever was an epidemic miasmatic malady.

v. Arneth spoke in support of the Semmelweis teaching, but he thought Semmelweis did not attach sufficient importance to intercurrent diseases such as pneumonia, erysipelas, etc. v. Arneth incidentally mentioned a curiosity in lying-in hospital management which shed a ray of light upon some opinions still prevailing among official teachers of midwifery. He told how Professor Seyfert, of Prague, let the normal puerperas lie among the puerperal fever cases, because he feared that removal might injure the sufferers by its moral impression !

One of the results of the discussion was a resolution to issue rules for the guidance of midwives, and henceforth it became the duty of every Russian midwife to apply the Semmelweis prophylaxis in her practice.

Hugenberger sent to Semmelweis a copy of his article