Sinclair, Sir William J.: Semmelweis. His Life and his Doctrine (Manchester, 1909)
III. Life in Vienna
ELIMINATION OF FACTORS 33 fever, which is the result of traumatism, e.g., a forcible application of the obstetric forceps, is in its course and in the resulting anatomical changes exactly the same as are observed in the so-called epidemic cases. Can it be possible then that there is another epidemic puerperal disease of traumatic origin ? Epidemics of zymotic disease show year-long intermissions; childbed fever, on the other hand, has prevailed in the First Obstetric Clinic for a long series of years with little or no intermission whatever. Does cholera ever remain epidemic for a whole year at a stretch ? If the so-called epidemic childbed fever were really due to atmospheric influences, it could not occur in every season of the year and under the greatest variety of climate; but as a matter of fact epidemics of childbed fever are observed at all season of the year, in the most different climates, and under all sorts of weather conditions. We shall, in order to prove this point by means of figures, use Table No. i once more—adding the first five months of 1847. It shows that in every month of the year there is a favourable and also an unfavourable condition of health in the First Obstetric Clinic. In November, 1841, 53 women died out of the 235 confined, that is, 22'55 per cent. In January, 1842, out of 307 patients confined 64 died, that is, 20'84 per cent. Portion of Table No. II. January : Lowest death-rate was in 1847, viz., 10 in 311, that is, 3'2i per cent; highest was in 1842, viz., 64 in 307, that is 20'84 per cent, (other months follow). June: Lowest death-rate was in 1844, viz., 6 in 224, that is 267 per cent; highest was in 1846, viz., 27 in 266, that is io‘ 15 per cent, (other months follow). October : Lowest death-rate was in 1844, viz., 8' in 248, that is, 3'22 per cent.; highest in 1842, viz., 71 in 242, that is, 29'33 per cent, (table completed). D
