Milestones of Science Books

SEMMELWEIS, Ignaz Philipp.

Offener Brief an sämmtliche Professoren der Geburtshilfe.

Aus der königl. ungar. Universitäts-Buchdruckerei: Ofen [Budapest], 1862.

1st Edition. Soft cover. Very Good. Item #003491

8vo (204 x 140 mm). viii, 92 pp. Original printed wrappers (soiled, some edge chipping, paper over spine chipped at ends). Text somewhat browned and foxed (more pronounced to first and final pages). Provenance: B. Bauch, Frankfurt (ink stamp on upper wrapper); James Tait Goodrich. ----

Norman 1928. - RARE FIRST EDITION. 14 years after initiating a system of prophylactic hand-washing which drastically reduced the mortality rate at his Vienna obstretrical clinic, Semmelweis published Die Aetiologie, der Begriff und die Prophylaxis des Kindbettfiebers (1861; see Garrison-Morton 6277), containing his observations on the etiology, contagiousness and prevention of puerperal fever and emphasizing the importance of hand-washing. Although the book's information and conclusions were of the first importance, its publication failed to bring about a widespread acceptance of Semmelweis's views and methods; instead, the connection he had made between cadaverous infection and puerperal fever was rejected by a large proportion of the medical establishment. Die Aetiologie was subject to several unfavorable reviews, to which Semmelweis responded with a series of open letters, published in pamphlet form in 1861 and 1862, in which he bitterly attacked his critics. This is the third and last of the open letters even though it ends abruptly, announcing a continuation to follow. - Visit our website to see more images!

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