Catholic physician who pioneered hand washing

[PennyinCanada]

The man who pioneered the movement, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis, was actually persecuted for his breakthrough discovery to the point of his untimely death.​

The Catholic physician who pioneered hand-washing

… While one would expect Semmelweis’ breakthrough would be met with praise, it was not. Many of his colleagues disagreed with the doctor’s conclusions and recoiled at having parameters set on their work. They criticized Semmelweis’ work as unscientific and claimed his Catholic Faith was to blame for his “superstitions” about hand-washing. Hospitals complained of the costs of providing a sanitary environment, and Semmelweis quickly found himself ostracized from professional circles.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

Many of his colleagues disagreed with the doctor’s conclusions and recoiled at having parameters set on their work.

“They’re trying to control me! This is tyranny!”

A tale as old as time…

 

[Lou2U]

What happened to him was utterly tragic. Just awful.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

A decade or so later, Florence Nightingale also tried to institute hand washing. She trained her nurses to do so.

Florence Nightingale: a pioneer of hand washing and hygiene for health

But they were ignored because the doctors didn’t want women bossing them around.