Palla Ákos szerk.: Az Országos Orvostörténeti Könyvtár közleményei 10-11. (Budapest, 1958)

In supporting his application Semmelweis wrote among others as follows: „I am willing to take immediately over the duties without any kind of salary — gratis — only in the interest of science and of the hospital". This was the motive power of Semmelweis. He was moved by no vanity, by no material considerations. He did his fight not for the realization of one of his favourite theories but for the life of hundreds and thousands of mothers and children. It is in the spirit of such thoughts that I am now conferring honours on those physicians and chemists who carry out their humanitarian work in their circle of action — in the spirit of selfsacrifice.