[Study on the 19(th) century puerperal fever epidemic: Semmelweis-an often neglected pioneer epidemiologist].

Puerperal fever was a major cause of maternal death in Europe in the 19th century. Many efforts were made to investigate the cause of the epidemic but failed. In 1846, Semmelweis, a young obstetrician in Vienna General Hospital, started his historical investigation. His breakthrough was largely due to his doctor friend’s accidental injury during autopsy and his consequential death. Semmelweis found the pathological findings in his friend’s post mortem examination were very similar to puerperal fever. He postulated his friend’s death might be caused by "cadaverous particles" from cadavers and further inferred that puerperal fever might also be caused by the cadaverous particles that doctors brought to the delivering women after autopsy classes. He advocated hand-washing with chlorinated lime solution to wash off those particles, which rapidly reduced the maternal mortality in his department by 80% (from 10.65% to 1.98%). However, what his unprecedented work brought him was only denial, mockery and career setback rather than support, honor and compliments. Under substantial psychological pressure, he had a mental breakdown and died in a psychiatry asylum at the age of 47. He was a pioneer in epidemiological investigations before John Snow and in aseptic techniques before Joseph Lister, but his work is still often neglected. Key words: Puerperal fever; Disinfection; Semmelweis; Epidemiology