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

TANULMÁNYOK - Zoltán Imre: Semmelweis (angol nyelvű közlemény)

6 years in the Rochus, 933 deliveries took place, but of 933 cases 8 died of puerperal fever (0,85%). This result was amazing at that time, as in Prague and Vienna the mortality rate of puerperal fever was still as high as 10—15%. After the death of his predecessor Ede, Florian Birly on 25th Nov. 1854 he applied for the post of professor in 1855. It is well known that the University Council and the Board of Professors proposed Semmelweis as second candidate behind Karl Braun. Though it is no credit to us—it is a historical fact that the Presidential Council of Buda proposed the appointment of Semmelweis opposing the motion of the University Council, with regard to Semmelweis'

s fame adding that it was impossible to nominate a professor to the University of Pest who cannot lecture in Hungarian. The same view was adopted by the Ministry of Public Education in Vienna, as a result of which Semmelweis was appointed. While at the time the St. Rochus hospital was a large and up-to-date institut with 075 beds and 8 wards at its disposal, the medical faculty of the University was in a deplorable state. The decree issued by the Imperial Royal Ministry of Public Education on 30. Sept. 1849 after the defeat of the Independence War suspended the autonomy of the University of Pest. For the next twelve years the University of Pest was not allowed to hold its yearly general meetings, or elect its own rectors and deans, who were therefore appointed by the imperial commissioner. Owing to the political situation, the financial affairs of the University were very insecure. The state of the medical faculty and the clinics was deplorable too. The University clinics, each having 0—12 beds, were cramped into narrow and dark rooms, inadequate for either theoretical or practical instruction. The Obstetric Clinic—one of the largests with its 26 beds consisted of one labour-ward and three lying in-wards. It was situated on the second floor, its windows overlooking a narrow backyard. Below, on the first floor was the chemical department, and on the ground floor, the dissection rooms. Semmelweis sent in report after report demanding that the clinic should be given better and more spacious accomodation, but he could not convince the responsible authorities that it was imperative both in the interest of patients and students. Finally due to the outbreak of an erysipelas epidemic in the surgical ward the Surgical and Obstetric Clinics were moved to another building. Semmelweis was naturally pleased that at last, after four years of suffering, his clinic was in a somewhat better position, but after having moved he soon found that it was far from satisfactory. Now he had twenty-eight beds, the wards were lighter and more spacious, but the arrangement was so unfortunate that the only entrance to the clinic led through the labouring ward. The clinic remained in these premises until 1879. Kézmárszky, professor from 1874 described the inadequate situation in these words : ".. .anybody wishing to enter—students, midwife, pupils, attendents carrying water, wood and food, private or official visitors—has to go through the same door into the labouring ward, empty or with labouring women in the beds, newborn babies being bathed and labouring women being operated on. Through this room are