Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 18-19. (Budapest, 2000)
Semmelweis's Birthplace - the Home of the Museum
ccptcd. Skoda and other physicians were convinced by the results. Still his vain, jealous and regressive chief, Professor Klein, some of his colleagues, the medical students and the staff regarded the chlorine hand-wash a nuisance and refused to accept Semmelweis's theory. Annoyingly enough, Semmelweis was also sharply attacked by leading members of the profession, most notably by Simpson in Edinburgh, Scanzoni in Würtzburg, Dubois in Paris and Kiwish in Prague. Beside Skoda, only Professor Michaelis in Kiel accepted his discovery, who having realized that he himself had been the 'murderer' of many would-be mothers committed suicide. Semmelweis made a fatal mistake by omitting to publish his discovery in a full, authentic text. He wrote private letters about it to his friends, because as he said later: 'my whole nature repulses from any kind of paper warfare .' Instead of him, his friends, the members of the Second Vienna School undertook this task. Professor Hcbra, the famous dermatologist referred to Semmelweis's discovery as equal in importance to Jcnner's findings of small-pox vaccination. Skoda , the internist of great reputation, supported Semmelweis by lecturing on his discovery. This atmosphere in the Viennese medical circlcs was rather tense, when in 1848 revolutions broke out in Europe. Semmelweis and the medical school of Pest During the Hungarian revolution and War of Independence against Austria (1848-1849) Semmelweis stayed in Vienna. The revolutionary storms that reached Vienna in March caused the fall of Duke Metternich , and the Emperor agreed on the formation of the Academic Legion and the National Guard. Among the members of the latter, which was actually a less revolutionary force we can find Hcbra, Hyrtl and Semmelweis, too. However, the National Legion was disbanded when the second revolution of Vienna (Octobcr 6th, 1848) broke out. It is unlikely that Semmelweis was a member of the Academic Legion, and he could only be the member of the National Guard, in the spring months. Had he taken a more active part in the events his reactionary colleagues Rosas and Klein, would have been quick to use the proofs of the behaviour of the reformers, and above all that of Semmelweis, to discredit them. He could, continue his career as obstcrician and fought for the vindication of his discovery. It would be equally wrong to consider him a revolutionary hero — though there was no doubt about his sympathy for the principles of the revolution — or to be hostile to his nation in the days of struggle for independence. On March 20th 1849 his appointment as assistant professor at the Clinic expired. His request for its renewal was rejected by Klein and Rosas. Later he applied for a recognition as private Dozent (9th February 1850) and asked to be allowed to demonstrate on 'phantoms' (models) and cadavers but was refused again. In his next 21
