Ignaz Semmelweis

Ignaz Philip Semmelweis
The last known photograph taken of Ignaz Philip Semmelweis, in 1864, by Austrian photographer, Ludwig Angerer, (1827–1879).
Born	Semmelweis Ignác Fülöp (1818-07-01)1 July 1818 Tabán, Buda, Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire (modern-day Budapest, Central Hungary, Hungary)
Died	13 August 1865(1865-08-13) (aged 47) In a Austrian psychiatric hospital in Oberdöling, Austrian Empire (modern-day Döling, Vienna, Vienna, Austria)
Cause of death	Gangerous wound caused by infection
Education	University of Vienna (began studying law there in the fall (or autumn) of 1837; graduated in 1844 and awarded with a doctor of medicine)
Alma mater	University of Vienna (began studying law there in the fall (or autumn) of 1837; graduated in 1844 and awarded with a doctor of medicine)
Occupation(s)	Physician and scientist
Known for	Introducing hand disinfection standards, antiseptic procedures, discovering the cause of postpartum infection, inventing the germ theory of disease
Spouse	Mária Weidenhofer (m. 1857; his death 1865)
Children	5 (3 died in infancy)
Parents	Jószef Semmelweis, a prosperous grocer (born in 1778; died in 1846) (father) Theresia "Teréz" Müller (born in 1789; died in 1844) (mother)

Ignaz Philip Semmelweis (born Semmelweis Ignác Fülöp; (1818-07-01)1 July 1818 – (1865-08-13)13 August 1865), was a Hungarian physician and scientist, of German descent and/or origin. He is known for his antiseptic procedures, introducing hand disinfection standards to clinics, discovering the cause of postpartum infection, and discovering the best way to prevent the spread of infections in clinics among patients and even medical staff, is by urging and requiring physicians and healthcare medical workers to disinfect and sanitize their hands, after helping a patient in a medical center. Semmelweis had also proposed hand washing with calcium hypochlorite, to prevent the spread of infections, in 1847.

He also did scientific observations and researches, on his studies, and wrote and published a book, Etiology, Concept and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever, in 1861, based on his findings from his scientific observations, researches, and studies. Semmelweis was also the first person to invent the germ theory of disease. But because the germ theory of disease had not been widely accepted, at the time, he had concluded that some disputed "cadaverous material" had caused postpartum infection. Despite his extensive research, Semmelweis' observations and ideas had been rejected and criticized by medical staff. He could offer very little theoretical explanation that the best way to prevent the spread of infections is through hand-washing, mainly due to the fact that bacteria had not yet been discovered and/or known, yet, at the time. Some physicians had even openly humiliated, mocked, and criticized Semmelweis, that they should wash their hands, to prevent the spread of infections, after helping a patient in a medical center. From his researches, studies, observations, and discoveries, Semmelweis was given very little credit for his work, and was often mocked and criticized, for his urging and requiring. Semmelweis would often write critical letters to the physicians that mocked, rejected, and criticized him for his work. Presumably, as a result, from the mocking and criticism, Semmelweis had fallen into paranoia and mental illness. On 30 July 1865, Semmelweis was lured into being sent to a psychiatric hospital, where he suffered extensive beatings and torture, by the medical and psychiatric staff, there. Two (2) weeks after being admitted to the psychiatric hospital, he died in the psychiatric hospital, on 13 August, from a gangerous wound due to a infection on his right hand. The infection was presumably caused by the extensive beatings and torture he suffered.
The medical autopsy carried out on his carcass, gave the cause of death of Ignaz Philip Semmelweis as pyemia (a type of sepsis or blood poisoning.).
His body was buried two (2) days later on 15 August, and his funeral ceremony was attended by very few people, (it has been rumored that not even his spouse (wife) or three (3) surviving children attended his funeral), and only a small number of periodicals had mentioned his death and created a orbituary for him. His findings, observations, and studies, were accepted, only years after his death, when Louis Pasteur had confirmed the germ theory of disease, giving Semmelweis' observations a thereotical explanation, and proved his findings as being accurate, and Joseph Lister, acting on Paestur's resarch, had used Semmelweis's methods of preventing the spread of infection through hand-washing, proved to be a great success, and had drastically reduced the chances of infections at clinics. Semmelweis's methods, had become famous, and are used at many medical centers, to help patients and prevent the spread of infections, today.