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

III. Life in Vienna

EVIDENCE FROM CLINICAL WORK 59

assistant, it was not possible for me to study gynaecology in the gynaecological department of the General Hospital. As substitute for this . . . from the year 1844 until I

returned to Pesth in 1850 I was accustomed almost daily before the morning visit of the professor to examine all the female bodies in the dead-house of the General Hospital with the object of studying gynaecology. Professor Rokitansky, whose friendship I could boast of (ich mich rühmen konnte) . . . had the kindness to permit me to make post-mortem examinations of all the female bodies which were not required by himself for section, and consequently I was able to verify the results of my examinations by dissection.

For various reasons the Assistant in the First Clinic made very few visits to the dead-house in December 1846, and during January, February, and March 1847, and the students, reduced in number to 18, followed his example, consequently the occasions for fouling the hands with cadaveric material were very much reduced in pregnancy, and clinical examinations had been reduced to the minimum. This explains the diminution in the mortality in the First Clinic during the months indicated.

On the 20th of March, 1847, I assumed the duties of actual assistant in the First Clinic for the second time. I had then to carry on my gynaecological studies in the dead-house in the early morning hours before visiting the labour-room. In this room it was my duty to examine every patient in labour so as to be able to report on every case to the professor during his morning visit. Consequently I was constantly bringing my fingers, foul with cadaveric particles, into contact with the genitals of parturient women. The result was that in April 57 patients died out of 312 confined, equal to 185 per cent., and in May 36 died out of 294 confined, that is 12J per cent.

After the employment of chlorine disinfection with its happy results, the number of students permitted to make examinations was increased, and examining during labour went on as in former times just as required for