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Ignaz Semmelweis, the doctor who discovered the disease-fighting power of hand-washing in 1847

  • Written by Leslie S. Leighton, Visiting Lecturer of History, Georgia State University
Ignaz Semmelweis, the doctor who discovered the disease-fighting power of hand-washing in 1847A simple, low-tech way to get rid of germs. FatCamera/E+ via Getty Images

One of the front-line defenses individuals have against the spread of the coronavirus can feel decidedly low-tech: hand-washing.

In fact, it was 19th-century Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis who, after observational studies, first advanced the idea of “hand...

Read more: Ignaz Semmelweis, the doctor who discovered the disease-fighting power of hand-washing in 1847

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Metropolitan republishes selected articles from The Conversation USA with permission

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