Sinclair, Sir William J.: Semmelweis. His Life and his Doctrine (Manchester, 1909)
I. Introduction
INTRODUCTION 3 in its magnitude in medical history. Whether it was equalled or excelled by that of Edward Jenner is a question which does not concern us for the present; but in any case there can be no question of the greater human interest, in the pathos and the tragedy, of the Semmelweis story. Equally interesting are even the biographical details of a too brief, and, apart from the Discovery, an uneventful career. The incidents reveal to us the great personality of the man; we join the band of loyal and devoted friends and supporters who cheered him with their early sympathetic appreciation, and helped him in the fight; and we try to estimate with an equal mind the qualities of the antagonists who embittered his existence and hurried him into the grave. In appraising the character and achievement of Semmelweis and in animadverting on his chief opponents, an effort is made to be guided by the maxim of a great Frenchman : “On ne doit aux morts que ce qui peut étre utile aux vivants, la justice et la verité.” The story of the controversy concerning the “Doctrine” is also full of interest, and it is of permanent value from the psychological point of view. We have to contemplate the application of detestable controversial methods : the use of misrepresentation by false suggestion and of insult by disdainful silence, the affectation of exact and encyclopaedic knowledge to conceal shallow ignorance, the confident assertion of inaccuracies verging on falsehood, the assumption of official dignity in place of condescension to ratiocination, the nauseating sycophancy of henchmen and aspirants for promotion, the tergiversation, feebleness and inconsistency of superfluous participators in the controversy; and always, opposed to all these uncomely things, patient earnest argument based upon irrefragable evidence, occasionally relieved by a touch of irony or a sarcastic illustration ; and through all, the note of wistful appeal for the adoption of measures which would bring to an end the heartless sacrifice of human life.
