| Date | |
|---|---|
| Location | Edinburgh |
| Description | This collection of notes on midwifery gives an insight into Simpson’s work on puerperal fever. The fever was caused by infection to the reproductive organs following childbirth. It caused painful symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, and vaginal haemorrhage. Puerperal fever was not common prior to the 17th century but became a significant problem after the establishment of lying in hospitals, where the infection was passed between patients by clinical staff. It is estimated that it caused at least half of all maternal deaths prior to the 20th century. Little was known of germ theory prior to the 1860s, but many men involved in midwifery began to make a link between unwashed hands and instruments, and infection rates. James Young Simpson had insisted in the 1840s that his students wash their hands in chlorine prior to every examination, indicating an understanding of the cause. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| Original Index Number | JYS 2/2/9 |
