semmelweis

noun

1. Ig·naz Phi·lipp [ig-nahts fee-lip] /ˈɪg nɑts ˈfi lɪp/, 1818–65, Hungarian obstetrician.

noun

1. Ignaz Philipp. 1818–65, Hungarian obstetrician, who discovered the cause of puerperal infection and pioneered the use of antiseptics

1. 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.