Antall József szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 66-68. (Budapest, 1973)
FORUM - Semmelweis kórtörténetének nyomában — Bécs és Budapest levelezése (magyar, angol és német nyelven)
the same time a colleague, moreover the pref essor of another university , — although the death-causing sepsis developed right in the eye of the doctors there. Neglecting the operation, all hope had been vasted for Semmelweis to recover."* This is the reason why those in Vienna should feel ashamed, and if this whole case-history legend proves true, this is the reason why Mr. Darvas fails to receive a genuine answer from those preserving the case history in their secret archives. Darvas furthermore states that together with the case history there is the protocol of the medical consultation of Balassa, Wagner and Bókay held in July 1805 at the sick-bed of Semmelweis. It would be a very important document because it would throw light upon the fact what the three professors believed, Semmelweis's disease had been. It would reveal us why they decided on his taking into Vienna and whether they had noticed the injury on his finger. Unfortunately this reputed document could not be found until no and we do not even know where Darvas found a trace if he found any. He found other interesting data, the content of which is known to us according to his verbal message—while he did not reveal its proveniance. It is an article in a newspaper published shortly after the death of Semmelweis in one of the daily papers in Pest which—let us put it frankly—alludes to the "madness" of Semmelweis. The article reports that in the circles of Pest it is said that Semmelweis went mad: The news is unfortunately true. It happened some weeks before his death—the article goes on saying—that he was supposed to arrive at the university for the examinations. He, however did not turn up. Finally someone was sent for him to his flat. When the absent-minded professor arrived at last, the examinations were started but Semmelweis put such absurd questions and behaved so disturbed that the examinations had to be stopped. He left the university in a hurry, his friends found him in the tunnel, calmed him down, took him home. This event was soon followed by his transportation to the mental hospital in Vienna. That is for the article. There is nothing to add, the uncertain report does not allow us to analyze the facts—it is only suitable for drawing conclusions on the contemporary public opinion in connection with Semmelweis's death. There is another strange recollection for me to report. It is the recollection of an "old medical student" published in the "Gyógyászat" in 1890 on the time when he used to attend the lectures of Semmelweis at the university, in the very last period of the professor's activity. He relates that the students had rather primitive circumstances at the lectures and they preferred to stay in the pub addressed to the Golden Eagle opposite to the university instead of attending the lectures. Semmelweis on the other hand was always looked forward to enthusiastically because it was said that "a teacher of he most recent school is coming who knows how to reform science root and brach—although the students did not know actually what needs reforming." * Gy. Regöly-Mérei, p. 75.
