What is iggy semmelweis?

Ignaz Semmelweis, also known as Iggy Semmelweis, was a Hungarian physician born on July 1, 1818, in Buda, Hungary. He is famous for his discovery of the benefits of handwashing in preventing the transmission of infectious diseases, particularly puerperal fever, in hospitals.

In the mid-1800s, puerperal fever was a common cause of death for new mothers in hospitals. Semmelweis observed that the mortality rate was much higher in clinics attended by doctors and medical students compared to clinics attended by midwives. He realized that the doctors and medical students were performing autopsies on patients who had died of puerperal fever and then immediately delivering babies without washing their hands.

In 1847, Semmelweis implemented a policy of handwashing with chlorinated lime before handling patients, and the mortality rate in his clinics dropped dramatically. However, his ideas were initially unpopular and controversial, and he faced opposition from many in the medical community. It was only much later that his ideas were widely accepted as a crucial practice in healthcare.

Semmelweis continued to work in medicine for the rest of his life and advocated for hygiene and disease prevention. He died in 1865 at the age of 47, following a nervous breakdown and a subsequent injury sustained while he was forcibly committed to a mental institution. Today, he is remembered as a pioneer in the field of medical hygiene and disease prevention.