Ignaz Semmelweis

Semmelweis showed that chlorinated hand cleansing sharply reduced puerperal-fever mortality in his clinic.

In 1847 he required clinicians moving from autopsy work to obstetric care to cleanse their hands with chlorinated lime. His causal explanation predated mature germ theory and was not broadly accepted during his career. Mortality fell dramatically after the measure was introduced, yet Semmelweis lacked a mature microbial explanation and struggled to persuade many contemporaries. His case demonstrates both the power of clinical observation and the difficulty of changing established medical practice.

Sources

• Historical perspective on hand hygiene in health care — World Health Organization, 2009