Ignaz Semmelweis, Hungarian Obstetrician

Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis (July 1, 1818 - August 13, 1865) was a Hungarian physician. He discovered that cases of puerperal fever, a form of septicemia, could be cut drastically if doctors washed their hands in a chlorine solution before examinations. In 1848, Semmelweis widened the scope of his washing protocol to include all instruments coming in contact with patients virtually eliminating puerperal fever from the hospital ward. Semmelweis suffered from severe depression. He was committed to an asylum where he was beaten by several guards, straitjacketed and confined to a darkened cell. He died two weeks later. The cause of death - septicemia

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1818 Antiseptic Antiseptics Asylum Cause Childbed Committed Fever Ignaz Obstetrician Philipp Procedures Protocol Puerperal Semmelweis Sepsis Severe Surgical

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