Sinclair, Sir William J.: Semmelweis. His Life and his Doctrine (Manchester, 1909)
VI. Publication or "Die Aetiologie"
SEMMELWEIS AS GYNECOLOGIST 263 Semmelweis as Gynecologist. When owing to the persuasion of his friends, especially of Markusovszky, Semmelweis ceased to take any part in the public discussion of the puerperal fever question, he turned his attention more to gynaecology. This had always been a favourite subject with him, but owing to adverse circumstances, he had never been able to give it much practical attention. We have seen that when he became assistant in the First Obstetric Clinic at Vienna, he made full use of the opportunities granted him by Rokitansky to work at the pathological anatomy of gynaecology in the morning hours before visiting and examining the lying-in patients. Later he understood with horror that it is this practice which produced the frightful mortality in March and April, 1847. He now busied himself with such gynaecological work as he could find, and tried to act according to the belief, which he had always maintained, that obstetrics and gynaecology are so intimately associated that they must be combined in teaching and practice. It was on this account that he was so distressed when, owing to the jealousy and intrigues of small rivals, he was deprived of his position on the staff of the St. Rochus Hospital, where he had gynaecological cases ten months every year. With the object of being able to give some clinical instruction in gynaecology he had always reserved some beds in the University Clinic for diseases of women. Biographically it is of interest to recall the fact that Semmelweis found a refuge in gynaecology from the excitement, alternating with depression, which had now become so observable in his conversation about the Etiology of puerperal fever: but scientifically and historically a singular interest attaches to his contributions to operative gynaecology. In his gynaecological practice he acted on the same principles of antisepsis as he had introduced into the practice of midwifery. It may be remembered that Semmelweis had assisted Chiari in Vienna with the
