Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 55-56. (Budapest, 1970)

TANULMÁNYOK - Réti, Endre: Does the Problem "The Illness of Semmelweis" Exist? (angol nyelvű közlemény)

DOES THE PROBLEM "THE ILLNESS OF SEMMELWEIS" EXIST? by ENDRE RÉTI Tn order to answer this question certain themes of science history need clearing up : the justification of the polemics around the "mental disorder" of Semmelweis in the last years; the acceptence or refusal of the opinion of his contemporaries; the soundness or unfoundedness of new hypotheses. 1. What are the circumstances which justify the raising of the problem of illness? Is it necessary to question the fact of mental disorder? In the latter respect even Virchow was quoted, who opposed the teachings of Semmelweis, on grounds of his being "paralytic". But Virchow died a long time ago and now there is nobody in the world who would speak of "paralysis" in connection with the tenets of Semmelweis. The other argument, which implies that mental disorder, and especially a syphilitic one, is humiliating and consequently the revered memory of Semmelweis should be cleared of it, can be considered only by less educated laymen. The question of the illness does not effect the evaluation of the personality and teaching of Semmelweis. 2. The nature of Semmelweis's illness can be ascertained on the basis of the observations made and opinions expressed by the contemporaries. The relevant data are the following: a) Fleischer describes the scene of the midwives' oath in the faculty (1). b) Schürer von Waldheim recounts (2) the consultation of Bókay, Wagner, and Balassa who prescribed some sedatives and planned hydrotherapy at Grafenberg. Following the deterioration of Semmelweis's state they could contemplate only a mental home. c) The article by Markusovszky (3) reafirms that symptoms only of a mental disorder were noticed on Semmelweis. d) In the interview given by his wife (4) she reiterated the symptoms which led the fellow-professors to the diagnosis of mental disorder. 3. Some years ago a hypothesis was set up claiming that the mental disease of Semmelweis was only an imputation by conservative or ignorant physicians. Accordingly his illness resulted only from the septicaemia of the injury on the hand, his derangement was the consequence of a septic delirium. The following assumptions were made. "... it is obvious that the osteomyelitic process, which is well recognizable on Semmelweis's skeleton even to-tay, had already been in existence on July 20th