Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproduction· 2020Q4
Gustav Adolf Michaelis (1798–1848)
- 373citations
- Q4SCImago
- 2020year
Short summary
Gustav Adolf Michaelis, a pioneering German obstetrician-gynecologist, introduced compulsory chlorine hand washing in his clinic in 1848, leading to a significant drop in mortality from postpartum fever.
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Key points
- Gustav Adolf Michaelis was a prominent German obstetrician-gynecologist and founder of scientific obstetrics.
- He is known for his studies on the "sacral rhombus," also called the "rhombus of Michaelis."
- Michaelis introduced compulsory chlorine hand washing in his clinic in 1848, significantly reducing mortality rates.
- His adoption of Semmelweis's hygiene practices was motivated by a deep concern over deaths from postpartum fever.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Professor Gustav Adolf Michaelis was an outstanding German obstetrician-gynecologist, one of the founders of scientific obstetrics. He gained worldwide recognition for his studies on the “sacral rhombus”, named after him the “rhombus of Michaelis”. Dr. Michaelis was an honest, hardworking and rather critical person, so in 1847, he did not instantly accept the ideas of Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis’s on “preventing puerperal fever”. Only in 1848, Michaelis introduced the compulsory chlorine hand washing in his clinic and made sure that mortality had dropped significantly. He was very depressed when he realized how many women (including his beloved niece) died from postpartum fever due to unsanitary obstetric practices. On August 8, 1848, Gustav Adolf Michaelis committed suicide.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproduction, 2020 · DOI ↗
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Field: History
HistoryArts and Humanities