Unclean Hands: From a Discovery That Would Forever Change Medicine to an Insane Asylum

by Andrew Schafer

How has great progress in the science of medicine over two centuries of research changed the way it is accepted and practiced today? Or has it? Vienna. Fifty years before the discovery of microbes and 175 years before the present day Covid-19 endemic, it is the “mecca” of medicine in the world. But its famous medical school is also a cauldron of politics and intrigue that resists progress. Based on a fictional account of the true story, with actual characters, a young obstetrician in training confronts the university hospital’s vast maternity ward that is teeming with the city’s abandoned and destitute women in labor. He is stunned to find that one-third of them will never make it out of the hospital alive, meeting horrific deaths in labor and delivery. But nobody has much cared. It has just been that way for many years. The young doctor defies orders to not meddle in this matter, and makes an unexpected, earth-shaking discovery about the cause of the deaths. As he struggles to find a way to prevent this carnage of women and their babies, his results are discredited by an arrogant, imperious and anti-science medical establishment. The outcast young physician is progressively persecuted until he meets an untimely and mysterious death. Why and how can he be vindicated?

Genres: Nonfiction

376 pages, Paperback

Published October 13, 2020

Reviews

[Aljan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s definitely not a page turner. I skimmed through most of the second half.

[Sharyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novelized history based on well researched truth.
Amazing humans survived at all. Then the vindictiveness - this was not a fun read at all.
But very interesting.

[Andrew I. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping narrative of a memorable event in medical history.

[Kathryn Spurgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Definitely worth reading. Well written and well documented. A story of an innovative, outstanding physician that should be taught in every classroom.

[Linda Galella · Rating 4 out of 5]

An important book that details the stark difference between practicing caution with clean hands, (instruments, bedding, etc,), to the lack of any attention to care for a clean field to operate, examine or even house patients.

After reading this book, it’s no wonder women chose to have private doctors and home births in the 19th century!!! The cavalier attitude towards women continued into formal medicine, treating women on par with animals, maybe worse.

University of Austria’s Dept of Obstetrics has a mortality rate for mothers & babies that approaches 30% on a fluctuating basis. A young doctor, Ignaz Semmelweis, finds out why and how to fix the problem and institutes protocols that drop the rate almost immediately to less than 2%. He’s not hailed. This is the horror story based on his life of devastating oppression by the medical establishment in Austria during his lifetime. A compelling read with timely applications 📚

[Vera · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF. I was SO disappointed that this book didn't keep my attention at all. It describes one of the most important public health findings of all time - that washing your hands before birthing babies saves lives. Dr. Semmelweis realized this by noticing that infant and mother mortality in the midwives ward at the hospital was way lower than in the doctors ward. Few believed him so he died in relative obscurity.

I appreciated the author's attempts to turn this story into a readable story, but I found the dialogue and the flow of the story did not engage me at all so I ended up putting the book down and never finishing it.

I would have given this book fewer stars, but the story is so important. I implore everyone to look up the actual history behind this book.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an uphill slog for me, not because it wasn't a good book but because the information was so frustrating to digest. I know that historically, society has not always understood about germs and cleanliness but to realize how many young women and their babies died because the doctors didn't understand (even after it was pointed out to them) that going from performing an autopsy to examining a woman in labor without disinfecting your hands was almost like "killing" the patient. Dr. Ignac Semmelweis, who realized the connection while working in a Viennese medical school, struggled the rest of his life to convince others in the medical community to follow basic sanitary procedures when working with their patients.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and fascinating novel based on real characters! I enjoyed it very much. The no el was captivating on several levels: first, Semmelweis and his discovery of unclean hands and their consequences; second, I found extreme interesting to read about obstetrics in a hospital (Vienna, 1850+), the organisation, the treatments, the care; medicine studies (not always clean!); and last but certainly not least, the arrogant power of politics over the medical abilities/necessities.
At the end of the book one can read about the known facts about Semmelweis as well as an outline of medical hygiene.
Highly recommended to anyone interested in medical history based on facts.
I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily an honest review.

[Keegan McMenamin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend Magdalene gave me this book to read and I have to give her credit for knowing what I like. Learning about the father of handwashing (Semmelweis) through a narrative instead of a biography made the book an easy read. I really enjoyed his journey and felt sad as the book ended with him dying before he got the respect and admiration he deserved. A tragic story that exemplifies the problems that arise in a system built around race and class.

[Sarah Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed clean hands learning about the difficulties and discoveries of the doctor. Post-partum fever and death was common. Though unsupported, discounted, and unrecognized, the main character, an OB GYN Doctor discovered the cause was contamination via unclean hands and implemented a hand-washing protocol.
Note: I received free copy from publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I am voluntarily reviewing.

[Books Forward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrew Schafer takes a true story and impeccably writes it in a fictional narrative. I never knew about Semmelweis' history and reading this book was like being on a journey through the 19th century. Get ready to transport yourselves back into the 1800s with this wonderful historical fiction narrative about medical practices and how it revolutionized our current day and age.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh -- I work at Medical School in OB/GYN dept. I knew some of this story but the novel which started out great got watered down somewhere in the middle and even as a novel too much was left out about the possible bad behavior of his colleagues towards him. I cannot recommend as it lost be about 1/2 way through.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book.
Although fiction it is based on a real doctor who had ideas not consistent with the time period.
I can't believe that most doctors and others in medicine didn't think hand washing was important.
Thanks to Goodreads for the kindle copy.

[T.J. Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a hard one to read. The author did an amazing job describing the environment and the events happening. This story depicts the changes in medical practice, the fear some people have getting medical attention, and what happens when people lean more towards the "can" than "should".

[Deborah L Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly Recommend

Great read! So much fascinating history of medicine. Very well written. Hope to read more by this author in the future.

[Mike B · Rating 4 out of 5]

On reflection I think the author does a fine job, not only of introducing Semmelweis as a pioneer in hospital procedure but also a scientist frustrated by ignorant politicians serving their own interests.