[zem-uh
l-vahys] 
| Ig⋅naz Phi⋅lipp [ig-nahts fee-lip] , 1818–65, Hungarian obstetrician. |
| Semmelweis (zěm'əl-vīs') Pronunciation Key
Hungarian physician who was a pioneer of sterile surgical practices. He proved that infectious disease and death in the obstetric clinic were caused by medical students going directly from performing autopsies to treating patients. Semmelweis instituted strict rules governing hygiene that dramatically reduced the mortality rate. |