Dr. Ignaz Philip Semmelweis

Handwashing is a staple of modern medical practice. However, this has not always been the case. Before the germ theory of disease was well known, it was common practice to examine patient after patient without the use of gloves or a strong disinfectant. When an obstetrician/gynecologist named Semmelweis started to examine why his maternity ward had such a high mortality rate, he made a discovery that later became the foundation for aseptic practice.