Hand washing has not always been a part of our culture, not even with the health profession.  It’s hard to believe, but it took a courageous physician to teach the medical profession to wash hands prior to doing surgery or delivering babies.  In 1847 Austria, an obstetrician/gynecologist by the name of Ignaz Semmelweis noted that the incidence of puerperal fever or childbirth fever as it was known, was greater in the ward where the physicians and medical students performed the deliveries than the ward where the mid-wives were in charge.  He also observed that the former came directly from the autopsy morgue to the operating room without washing their hands.  To us today, this seems incredible.  How could they be so stupid?  But this was 30 years before Pasteur discovered that bacteria caused disease.  Semmelweis proceeded to have his doctors and students wash their hands and soak their hands in chlorinated lime solution prior to and between each procedure.  This resulted in a significant drop in infections.  WOW, you would think this research would result in an immediate change of medical practice.  NOT.  He was so discredited that he reacted to this criticism and eventually this stress led him to be committed to an asylum, where he died of an infection similar to the one he had dealt with so effectively.

Even scientists can be reluctant to change their ways, in spite of good scientific evidence.  It is no wonder that lay folks might do the same.  I suspect that the anti-vaccine folks will not change when a COVID-19 vaccine comes out.  Perish the thought.  Thanks to wise Rotarians, we have been able to eliminate most of the polio in the world with financial contributions to Polio Plus. 

Charles Erickson MD,FAAP