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

TANULMÁNYOK - Regöly-Mérei, Gyula: The Pathological Reconstruction of Semmelweis's Disease on the Basis of the Catamnestic Analysis and Palaeopathological Examination (angol nyelvű közlemény)

ben? ,., The — number of the total cases: 71.395 and of the deceased: 897. 532 The death rate made by Semmelweis one per 79 parturitions (Open Letter 532 etc.. 66). The fraction is, indeed, now unusual in medical statistics and 897 Steudel (14) rightly calls attention to this mode of expression. I investigated (80, 96a and b) Semmelweis's calculation methods and results. If the ratio of the total cases (71,395) and of the deceased (897) is expressed in decimal fractions 71,395 : 897 = 79.59 8 005 5320 8350 277 the result is: 79.59 and the rest: 277, Today we would say: the death rate is one per 79.59 parturitions. Thus, Semmelweis divided numbers up to whole numbers whereafter he produced proper fractions out of the rest (532) and the divisor (897) which he then added to the whole number he obtained as a result ........ 532 of the division and this is how the value 79— and all other similar expressi897 ons as well originated. The calculation made by Semmelweis is quite correct and in agreement with the result of mathematical reckonings applied at present. His method cannot be considered peculiar because many of his contemporaries also used proper fractions instead of decimal fractions. Sigerist declared that Semmelweis'

s book could have finally removed all misinterpretations in connection with his theories (68). Unfortunately it happened differently and this was by no means Semmelweis's fault. It remains, however, certain that his book does not contain anything that points to symptoms of insanity. On the contrary, due to thorough literary knowledge, comprehensive research material, precise observations, logical argumentation, intuition and statements proved, the book is a rewarding reading matter. 2. The style of the "Open Letters" There is no doubt that the tone used in the Open Letters (64, 60, 66) is highly aggressive, sometimes even extremely effensive: he calls Späth and Scanzoni "murderers," and the latter a "medical Nero". There are hard words indeed, an accusation and a judgement at the same time. The parts written in a similarly brusque tone as well as some chapters (e.g. statements related to Virchow) moved some authors (Ebstein 18, Venrel 72, Zeissl 77) to regard these attributes as a result of insanity. Neuburger, however, considers the