Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti Közlemények 194-195. (Budapest, 2006)

TANULMÁNYOK — ARTICLES - HÄNNINEN, O. - FARAGÓ, Mária - MONOS, Emil: Semmelweis ' Discovery and Its Finnish Follow-Up

Probably as the sign of a great respect for his professor, Semmelweis refrained from publishing anything about his discovery for several years. In 1847, however, a dermatologist Ferdinand von Hebra published a detailed editorial article in the Journal of the Viennese Medical Association. Professor of internal medicine Joseph Skoda proposed on his behalf that the Medical Faculty should establish a committee to carefully study Semmelweis' innovation. Professor Klein did not agree, and he himself got the responsibility. Semmelweis received an invitation to give a lecture at the meeting of the Pathological Subcommittee of the Viennese Medical Association on the 23th February 1849. A month later, in March 1849, Semmelweis' job contract at Professor Klein's Clinic expired. Professor Klein felt offended and did not prolong Semmelweis' contract. Neither did he continue hand-washing with - as we now know - sterilizing solution (11). Professor Skoda gave a lecture on Semmelweis' innovation at the Department of Natural Sciences of the Viennese Science Academy on 18th of October 1849, and Semmelweis himself gave a lecture on the etiology of puerperal fever in the Viennese Medical Association on 15th of May, 1850. Semmelweis applied and got a private-docentship in obstetrics - without any clinical facilities, and suddenly he left Vienna. This action was for a great disappointment to his supporters. Semmelweis returned back to Hungary, where he lived first in poverty. One must remember that Hungarians had difficult times after the Revolution and War for Independence of 1848/49. Finally he was invited to become the head of the Department of Obstetrics at the St. Roche's Flospital. He got excellent results in applying his innovation. In 1855, by Emperor's letter Semmelweis became professor of obstetrics at the University of Pest, although first the faculty was against his nomination (11). As a young assistant physician, at the age of 29, Semmelweis discovered and introduced into praxis the basic principles of etiological prevention and asepsis. His mentai and physical health, however, was in a poor condition after the death of his close friend and supporter Dr. Kolletschka in 1847, and foss of his clinical job in Vienna in 1849. The position of a junior doctor was not easy at that time - neither now. Semmelweis got support and understanding from specialists of other fields of medicine: K. Rokitansky was professor of pathology, J. Skoda professor of internal medicine, and F. von Hebra was a dermatologist. However, Semmelweis' close colleagues became his opponents. Their opposition is easy to explain, since Semmelweis's discovery endangered their professional prestige. Ignorant in pathophysiology of the puerperal fever, obstetricians themselves had been transmitting this mortal disease to their patients. Bacteria had not yet been discovered. Finally Semmelweis book Die Ätiologie, der Begriff und die Prophylaxis des Kindbettfiebers was published in 1861 The thorough treatise contained 543 pages. Semmelweis himself died in Vienna due to sepsis and in a way due to the friends who tried to help him. They had paid no attention to the infected wound in his middle finger of the right hand (5). Semmelweis, the Savior of Mothers In 1885, about twenty years after Semmelweis' death his biography first appeared in Hungarian. In 1894, Jenő Rákosy wrote an article in Budapesti Hírlap entitled Anyák megmentője - Savior of Mothers. This article initiated the rehabilitation of Semmelweis and