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- Title
The Resistance to Antisepsis in the 19th Century: A Briefing on Two European Antisepsis Proponents.
- Authors
Ouyang, Ben
- Abstract
Hand washing is now considered an essential part of infection prevention practices, with signage and instructions in every hallway and washroom. However, the activity has not always been held in the same regard. In fact, doctors in the past had actively resisted hand washing before coming in contact with their patients, often unknowingly causing lethal infections. Why did they scoff at the idea of washing hands? In this essay, I turn to primary and secondary historical sources to describe the development of hand washing and antiseptic techniques through two important 19th-century European proponents: Ignaz Semmelweis and Joseph Lister, and why the medical society resisted their ideas. Poor communication, pride, and a resistance to change were major factors fueling the resistance. Eventually, scientific rigour and evidence convinced the medical community of hygiene’s importance, and hand washing and antiseptic techniques became widely adopted.
- Publication
University of Toronto Medical Journal, 2015, Vol 92, Issue 3, p92
- ISSN
0833-2207
- Publication type
Article