Episode 11: The Handwashing Heretic - The tragic story of Ignaz Semmelweis
Description
In this episode, I share the tragic and powerful story of Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis — a physician who discovered how to save the lives of countless mothers in 19th-century Vienna. His discovery? Something as simple as handwashing. But rather than being hailed as a hero, he was ridiculed, silenced, and ultimately destroyed by the very profession he tried to reform.
This story isn’t just about history — it’s a warning. About arrogance. About the reflexive rejection of new ideas. About what happens when certainty replaces curiosity.
This is the first installment of a new storytelling series I’m calling Tribulations. If you enjoy this episode, let me know — I’d love to keep bringing these stories to life.
Mentioned in this episode:
- The origin of the Semmelweis Reflex
- The tragic fate of a revolutionary thinker
- What modern medicine (and all of us) can learn from his story
Prefer visuals? Watch the storyboard version of this episode on YouTube and TikTok.
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