Sinclair, Sir William J.: Semmelweis. His Life and his Doctrine (Manchester, 1909)
V. Life in Buda-Pesth
PREPARATION OF THE iETIOLOGIE 197 published separately and then interpolated in the sEtiologie. During the preparation of the work Semmelweis wrote a large number of letters to teachers of midwifery all over Europe. He read all references to his Doctrine which appeared in the literature of Europe whether in formal manuals, in periodicals, or in the annual summaries of the contributions to midwifery and diseases of women which appeared in the medical journals; and he let little escape his notice and animadversions. When anything more important than usual appeared, he wrote a criticism and arrested the ordinary progress of his book in order to interpolate a special article, not always in the right place, and seldom with any special heading to intimate to the reader that he was entering upon more or less of a digression. From all directions came tidings of the influence of what he and his friends had already published on the etiology and prophylaxis of puerperal fever, but he was seldom cheered by a friendly article or an appreciative address in the proceedings of an Obstetrical Society. The methods of controversy were hateful and contemptible. Professorial contributors must attribute the outbreaks of puerperal fever in their Clinics to any or every cause except that which was declared by Semmelweis to be the only real cause, contact with decomposed animal organic matter, and the paltriness of some leaders among the opponents such as Braun in Vienna was occasionally exhibited in omitting even the name of Semmelweis while criticising his doctrine. A letter from Professor Dietl of Cracow,1 in answer to the inquiries of Semmelweis in 1858, sheds a dreary light on the state of opinion and some methods prevalent among teachers at that time. “ In the course of my travels I observed that appreciation of your views on the origin of puerperal fever found expression in the arrangements of some lying-in hospitals. . . . Members 1. Aetiologie ... p. 306.
