'Cadaver particle' that turns people to corpse.

Semmelweis on Google Doodle

This post is dedicated to my mentor, VM, who exposed me to the field of history of medicine. As part of my training, he made it a point to drill me on the historical aspects of specific treatments. The exciting thing about these small vignettes regarding history is that they make good conversation pieces.

These days, seeing people around in frantic in hand-washing exercise, reminded me of one of the first historical icons that VM introduced. Something as simple hand washing is often undervalued, and the first person who promoted this was never really feted. In fact, as like other many historical figures, he, Ignaz Semmelweis, died a sad man.

The Vienna General Hospital of the mid-19th century had two obstetric wings; one manned by midwives and the other was run by doctors. This was during the pre-antibiotic era when puerperal fever was a common occurrence and death due to sepsis was nothing unusual. In fact, more mothers died in the doctor's wing, much to the embarrassment of its head, Prof Semmelweis. Mothers begged not to be admitted to the doctors' side and would instead deliver in the streets, claiming they had delivered en route the hospital. The surprising thing was the infection rate of those delivered by the streets was low.

Bizarre theories started flying about these maternal deaths. Many of the patients were of low morals, single mothers and prostitutes, hence personal hygiene was suggested. They even postulated poisoning by milk as yellowish exudates mimicking milk were found in their uteri during postmortem. Naturally, it was just pus.

The eureka moment came when his colleague died of sepsis after a cut on his finger during postmortem examination. Semmelweis found a connection between the autopsy done by the doctors and the patients that delivered. He concluded that there was a 'cadaveric' particle that transmitted to the parturient mothers via the doctors' hands. He suggested washing hands with a chlorinated lime solution to remove the 'putrid smell' of cadavers. His method reduced sepsis and maternal mortality tremendously.

Semmelweis tried to spread his technique all over Europe, much to the resistance of the old guards who were quite comfortable with their old ways. Just around that time, there was political turmoil in Hungary. Career insecurity was an issue. 

Cheers to Semmelweis
(with VM)

It is said that Semmelweis would have had a more significant impact if he had communicated his findings more effectively and avoid antagonising the medical establishment.

Eventually, his behaviour took a turn. He started drinking heavily, living openly with a prostitute and became progressively violent. He was institutionalised. A few days after that, he was restrained and hit by the institute paramedics. He died unceremoniously due to infections sustained from the assault; the same infections he was trying to avoid. He could also have suffered from tertiary syphilis or Alzheimer's disease. 

Only almost twenty years later was his theory proven true by Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur's Germ Theory.

People's actions over the ages never really change. They are quick to resist any new suggestion that would alter their routine. It has come to be referred to as Semmelweis reflex, a metaphor of human behaviour, where fresh ideas ridiculed and rejected by contemporaries. 

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