Let me tell you about a sad but illuminating story, where a visionary physician informed the world of a transformative way to save lives, only to see his own life destroyed 🧵
In 1846, the Vienna General Hospital was experiencing a troubling problem.
Its two maternity wards, both housed within the same hospital, had dramatically different maternal mortality rates: around 10% versus 4%. Almost all the maternal deaths were due to puerperal fever.
Its two maternity wards, both housed within the same hospital, had dramatically different maternal mortality rates: around 10% versus 4%. Almost all the maternal deaths were due to puerperal fever.
The reputation of the first ward was so bad, women begged on their knees to be admitted to the second ward.
Some women preferred to give birth on the street—pretending to have given sudden birth on their way to the hospital, so they could still qualify for childcare benefits.
Some women preferred to give birth on the street—pretending to have given sudden birth on their way to the hospital, so they could still qualify for childcare benefits.
At the time, a young physician named Ignaz Semmelweis was working at the hospital. He became obsessed with this mystery
Why would maternal rates be so different between the two wards? How come women who gave birth on the street fared better than women admitted in the first ward?
Why would maternal rates be so different between the two wards? How come women who gave birth on the street fared better than women admitted in the first ward?
The mystery perturbed him so much, he decided to take a break & left for Venice on 2 March 1847.
When Ignaz Semmelweis came back to Vienna on 20 March 1847, he learned of the death of his good friend Jakob Kolletschka, who was Professor of Forensic Medicine at the same hospital.
When Ignaz Semmelweis came back to Vienna on 20 March 1847, he learned of the death of his good friend Jakob Kolletschka, who was Professor of Forensic Medicine at the same hospital.
This event was the breakthrough Semmelweis needed to finally solve the mystery of the two maternity wards
While conducting an autopsy, his friend pricked his finger with a scalpel and shortly died from a similar infection to the one afflicting women giving birth at the hospital.
While conducting an autopsy, his friend pricked his finger with a scalpel and shortly died from a similar infection to the one afflicting women giving birth at the hospital.
That’s when he found the only difference between the two wards: the doctors in the 1st ward were often performing autopsies, which didn’t happen in the 2nd ward.
And these doctors were routinely delivering babies with the same unwashed hands they were conducting autopsies with.
And these doctors were routinely delivering babies with the same unwashed hands they were conducting autopsies with.
Ignaz Semmelweis proposed that doctors were infecting patients with what he called “cadaverous particles” and immediately insisted that all the medical staff wash their hands in a chlorinated lime solution before treating patients and delivering babies.
This simple change resulted in a drop in maternal deaths from puerperal fever to around 1%
Despite this scientific breakthrough, the medical community at the time not only showed skepticism...
... but openly mocked Ignaz Semmelweis for his insistence on the application of antiseptic policies to prevent bacterial infections.
... but openly mocked Ignaz Semmelweis for his insistence on the application of antiseptic policies to prevent bacterial infections.
A famous obstetrician unfamously said: “Doctors are gentlemen, and gentlemen’s hands are clean.”
Semmelweis wrote: “Most medical lecture halls continue to resound with lectures on epidemic childbed fever and with discourses against my theories. In published medical works my teachings are either ignored or attacked.”
Ignaz Semmelweis was eventually sacked from the Vienna General Hospital
He became severely depressed, and wrote a series of open letters addressed to “all obstetricians” calling them “irresponsible murderers”
He became severely depressed, and wrote a series of open letters addressed to “all obstetricians” calling them “irresponsible murderers”
He began to drink immoderately, spending progressively more time away from his family, sometimes leaving the company of his wife to spend time with prostitutes instead.
In 1865, a fellow physician lured him to a recently opened mental asylum under the pretence of visiting the new institution
Semmelweis guessed what was happening and tried to leave, but he was beaten by several guards, bound in a straitjacket, and placed in solitary confinement.
Semmelweis guessed what was happening and tried to leave, but he was beaten by several guards, bound in a straitjacket, and placed in solitary confinement.
He died after two weeks, aged 47.
Very few people attended his funeral.
Very few people attended his funeral.
The rules of the Hungarian Association of Physicians specified that a commemorative address be delivered in honour of a member who had died in the preceding year.
However there was no address for Ignaz Semmelweis.
His death was never mentioned.
However there was no address for Ignaz Semmelweis.
His death was never mentioned.
More than twenty years later, Louis Pasteur would suggest a theoretical explanation for Semmelweis' observations: the now widely accepted germ theory of disease.
This knee-jerk tendency to reject new evidence because it contradicts established beliefs is called “The Semmelweis Reflex”
The Semmelweis Reflex causes us to easily dismiss new, difficult, and potentially transformative ideas.
The Semmelweis Reflex causes us to easily dismiss new, difficult, and potentially transformative ideas.
From climate change to COVID-19, the Semmelweis Reflex is still very much present today.
Learn how to identify & manage it 👇
nesslabs.com/semmelweis-ref…
Learn how to identify & manage it 👇
nesslabs.com/semmelweis-ref…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
