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Ignaz Semmelweis: a Victim of Harassment?

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Ignaz Semmelweis: a Victim of Harassment? main topic Wien Med Wochenschr https://doi.org/10.1007/s10354-020-00738-1 Ignaz Semmelweis: a victim of harassment? Sonja Schreiner Received: 4 November 2019 / Accepted: 10 February 2020 © The Author(s) 2020 Summary Ignaz Semmelweis’ (1818–1865) discovery 1865, his relatives (including his wife) and friends of the endemic causes of febris puerperalis is a strik- took him from Budapest to Vienna. He thought he ing example of the role of pathology in medicine. was going to spend some time relaxing, but in fact Transdisciplinarity encounters Semmelweis’ biogra- was led into a newly built asylum for the mentally ill, phy, which is neither linear nor totally focused on the Niederösterreichische Landesirrenanstalt.When medicine. He completed the philosophicum (artis- he realized what was happening, he tried to escape. terium), studying the septem artes liberales (1835–1837) Badly abused, he died from sepsis caused by open in Pest, comprising humanities and natural science. wounds and a dirty straightjacket 2 weeks later. This After moving to Vienna, he began to study law, but article will show Semmelweis to be a multilingual turned to medicine as early as 1838. In 1844, he grad- author of scientific literature and (open) letters; it will uated with a botanical doctoral thesis composed in present him as a researcher who became a victim of Neo-Latin, showing linguistic and stylistic talent and harassment and what is referred to as the “Semmel- a broad knowledge of gynecology and obstetrics. The weis reflex” (“Semmelweis effect”); and it will focus style and topoi demonstrate the interchangeability of on his afterlife in (children’s) literature, drama, and what he learnt during his propaedeuticum.Nowa- film. days, hardly anyone is familiar with this booklet, for two main reasons: the language choice and the life- Keywords Botanical doctoral thesis · Puerperal saving impact of the physician’s opus magnum on fever · Multilingual correspondence · Comparative the reasons for puerperal fever (Die Aetiologie, der physiology · Afterlife in literature, film, and drama Begriff und die Prophylaxis des Kindbettfiebers). In later life, he became convinced that he had no talent Optimistic (botanical) beginnings or: the Neo- as a (scientific) author—a fatal error that led him to Latin thesis of Ignaz Semmelweis become a victim of what we now call “publish or perish.” Semmelweis had felt rejected for years. This Ignaz Semmelweis’ (1818–1865) discovery of the en- negative feeling was the reason for his decision not demic causes of febris puerperalis is a striking example to publish his great book for 14 years. When it finally of the role of pathology in medicine. Transdisci- went to the printer in 1861, the scientific community plinarity encounters Semmelweis’ biography, which did not accept it. This experience caused psycho- is neither linear nor totally focused on medicine. He somatic symptoms owing to his long-standing and completed the philosophicum (artisterium), studying deeply felt disappointment. Bad conscience tortured the septem artes liberales (1835–1837) in Pest, com- him. This permanent stress destroyed his health: in prising humanities and natural science. After moving to Vienna, he began to study law, complying with the wishes of his father, a merchant, but turned to S. Schreiner ( ) medicine as early as 1838. In 1844, he graduated with Institut für Klassische Philologie, Mittel- und Neulatein, a botanical doctoral thesis1 composed in Neo-Latin, Philologisch-Kulturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Universität Wien, Universitätsring 1, 1010 Vienna, Austria [email protected]; [email protected] 1 Semmelweis [1]. K Ignaz Semmelweis: a victim of harassment? main topic showing linguistic and stylistic talent and a broad feriunt suavissimi odores, qui gustum demulcent knowledge of gynecology and obstetrics. Nowadays, dulcissimi succi, quae corpus nostrum restaurant, hardly anyone is familiar with this booklet, for two morbos profligant, sanitatem reducunt—substan- main reasons: the language choice and the life-sav- tiae plantarum, e quibus animum poetarum in- ing impact of the physician’s opus magnum on the spirat suavissimus Apollo [...] quam vim natu- reasons for puerperal fever, meticulously described in rae—vitam—dicimus. (“How brightly does the more than 500 pages.2 lovely green color of the leaves shine into the 1818: Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis is born in Buda human eye. How delightful is the splendor of the 1835–7: ... Completes the philosophicum at the flowers and their broad variety. How mild is their University of Pest fragrance meeting the nose. How sweet is their 1837: . Studies Law at the University of Vienna taste—the substance of the plants restoring our 1838: . Skips Law and begins to study Medicine at bodies, fighting various illnesses, bringing back the University of Vienna the healthy state, the ingredients out of which 1839–40: . Continues his studies at the University honeysweet Apollo inspires the poets’ souls, the of Pest thing we call the force of nature, the thing we 6 1841: ... ReturnstoVienna call life.”) 1844: . Graduates with a botanical dissertatio in- auguralis At the end of his encyclopedia, comprising 37 books, 1845: ... Becomes doctor chirurgiae and starts to Pliny composes a prayer to the personified Mother work at the General Hospital Nature (§205). In analogy, Semmelweis presents the 1846: . Becomes assistant for obstetrics at the wide range of powers humankind can derive from 7 General Hospital flora. The style and topoi demonstrate the inter- 1847: . Detects the causes of puerperal fever after changeability of what he learnt during his propaedeu- the death of Jakob Kolletschka from sepsis ticum. In later life, he became convinced that he had 1849–50: . Leaves for Pest, after the authorities no talent as a (scientific) author—a fatal error that led failed to prolong his contract, where he success- him to become a victim of what we now call “publish fully works in various hospitals for the rest of his life or perish.” Working at the traditional and catholic as a professor of gynecology and obstetrics, saving University of Vienna, while writing his thesis, he com- countless lives bined science and religion, a method professionalized 1857: Marriage to Maria Weidenhoffer, by whom he decades earlier by the Jesuits, insisting on the driving had five children (two boys and three girls, two dy- force, the curiosity to find out the truth (p. 3): Mens ing as babies) humana tamen non acquiescit, donec phaenomeno- 1861: Publication of the Aetiologie and four open rum omnium rationem reddat sufficientem, laeti ideo letters in two separate editions (each called Zwei of- sequimur ideam, quam naturae philosophi hoc modo fene Briefe) exponunt. Omne, quod existit, ex divino omnipotentiae 1862: Publication of the Offener Brief spiritu emanat [...]. (“Nevertheless,thehumanmind 1865: Suffering from burnout, journey to Vienna, does not rest until it finds a sufficient reason for all mysterious death natural phenomena; that is why we happily follow the idea, the natural philosophers explain. Everything The year 2018, one of historical jubilees, was also one existing is a fruit of almighty god”). dedicated to Semmelweis: commemorating his 200th birthday, articles were published3 and symposia were held—without any focus on or analysis of his doctoral thesis.4 Knowing what happened later, and how he personally changed in response to the harassment5 he had to face, the first lines, i.e., a single sentence in his thesis (p. 3), are moving ones. He enthusiasti- cally praises botanical plurality using metaphors taken 6 All (sometimes rather free) translations are made by the author from Pliny the Elder’s (†79AD) vast encyclopedia, the of this article. My warmest thanks go to my colleague Danuta Naturalis historia: Shanzer for polishing my English. All remaining errors are mine. Furthermore, I am deeply grateful to the anonymous reviewers Qui oculis tam grate arridet amoenus foliorum for their suggestions for improvement. viror, florum splendor et mira varietas; qui nares 7 Céline [7]. Cf. Céline [8, p. 25]: Während dieser Krise in seinem Beruf treibt er sich gern in den botanischen Gärten herum, wo er den im Preisen der Vorzüge einfacher Gewächse unerschöpflichen 2 Semmelweis [2]. Pflanzenkenner Bozatov zu Rate zieht. Die durchwegs empirische 3 Weis [3]. Schönberger [4]. Djakovic A.; Dietl J. [5]. Wissenschaft dieses Kräuterkundigen entzückt ihn. (“Facing problems in his job, he loves to strive through the botanical 4 http://semmelweis200.hu and http://semmelweismuseum. gardens, where he consults Bozatov, a mere specialist on plants hu mention the title. praising the positive sides of simple herbs without end. He is 5 Durnova [6]. delighted by the thoroughly empirical method of the herbalist.”). Ignaz Semmelweis: a victim of harassment? K main topic Semmelweis’ method of comparative physiology tined to develop and evolve; it is comparable to the and his use of scientific language ovary and uterus of animals.”) The fragrance or odor of flowers are primarily interesting for health reasons Furthermore, Semmelweis worked systematically and (p. 23): Spectato odorum principio chimico facile in- gradually developed his theories, probably copying notescit, cur flores in cubiculis adservati asthma, vertig- the familiar modes of exposition in the classes he had inem, apoplexiam provocare valeant. (“If you consider taken at university. He would do the same 17 years the chemical principle behind smells you will easily later in his
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