Sammelweis' Background
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Ignaz Semmelweis was born on July 1, 1818 in Budapest, Hungary. He was born to Joseph and Teresia Müller Semmelweis. The fifth out of ten children, Ignaz was born into a wealthy and well-respected family. His father was a successful grocer and wholesaler while his mother was the daughter of a famous coach maker. His siblings impressed their parents by following in the family business, entering into the clergy, or marrying into wealthy families. Instead of joining his father in their grocery business, Ignaz decided to study law at University of Vienna. At some point during his time there, he switched into the field of medicine, receiving his doctorate degree in 1844.
After his graduation, Semmelweis was unable to obtain a clinical position for internal medicine so he decided to specialize in obstetrics. He quickly turned his focus to midwifery and dedicated many hours to the study of the female reproductive system. In 1846, he was appointed assistant to Professor Johann Klein at the First Obstetrical Clinic in the Vienna General Hospital or the "Allgemeine Krankenhaus". He examined the patients every morning to prepare for the professor's rounds, oversee difficult deliveries, and keep the records of the hospital. Semmelweis was also granted permission to dissect and examine the bodies of the women who had died of gynecological diseases, many of them from puerperal fever. His training prepared him as an experienced pathological anatomist and knowledgeable physician.
After his graduation, Semmelweis was unable to obtain a clinical position for internal medicine so he decided to specialize in obstetrics. He quickly turned his focus to midwifery and dedicated many hours to the study of the female reproductive system. In 1846, he was appointed assistant to Professor Johann Klein at the First Obstetrical Clinic in the Vienna General Hospital or the "Allgemeine Krankenhaus". He examined the patients every morning to prepare for the professor's rounds, oversee difficult deliveries, and keep the records of the hospital. Semmelweis was also granted permission to dissect and examine the bodies of the women who had died of gynecological diseases, many of them from puerperal fever. His training prepared him as an experienced pathological anatomist and knowledgeable physician.