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

III. Life in Vienna

56 EVIDENCE FROM CLINICAL WORK

the more favourable were the health conditions of the women confined in it.

The Division of the Lying-in Hospital into two Clinics might be said to amount to an experimental proof by- statistics of the Semmelweis Doctrine. The import of the vast difference between the mortality in the First and Second Divisions as shewn in Table I. now became clear. Broadly stated the mortality in the First Division was throughout three times that of the Second.

Then there were curious fine distinctions at times which added, if possible, to the completeness of the demonstration. “The variations in the mortality as they occurred in each of the Divisions could be attributed to the special occupations of the various members of the staff.’’ When an assistant took special interest in pathological anatomy and made many post-mortem examinations, the mortality was high. Semmelweis recognised that he himself had been one of the greatest sinners. “Consequently must I here make my confession that God only knows the number of women whom I have consigned prematurely to the grave. I have occupied myself with the cadaver to an extent reached by few obstetricians . . . However painful and depressing the recognition may be, there is no advantage in concealment; if the misfortune is not to remain permanent the truth must be brought home to all concerned.”

With all this dissecting and operating upon the cadaver it became clear to Semmelweis that the very conscientiousness of his own clinical work had been a source of danger to the patients, and then certain clinical experiences quite inexplicable hitherto took their place as evidence in support of the Lehre.

Evidence from Routine Clinical Work.

In the forenoon the professor accompanied by the students made a general visit to the lying-in wards, and every pregnant and parturient woman was examined by the students as part of the routine clinical instruction.