Ignaz Semmelweis, the doctor who discovered the disease-fighting power of hand-washing in 1847 · Benefits of cleanliness, symbolic and real.MenuCloseHomePodcastsCOVID-19ArtsBusiness+EconomyCulture+SocietyEducationEnvironment+EnergyHealthPoliticsScience+TechnologyEnfrançaisEditionAfricaAustraliaCanadaCanada(français)EspañaFranceGlobalPerspectivesIndonesiaNewZealandUnitedKingdomUnitedStatesEdition:AvailableeditionsCanadaGetnewsletterBecomeanauthorSignupasareaderSigninPodcastsCOVID-19ArtsBusiness+EconomyCulture+SocietyEducationEnvironment+EnergyHealthPoliticsScience+TechnologyEnfrançaisAsimple,low-techwaytogetridofgerms.FatCamera/E+viaGettyImagesLeslieS.Leighton,GeorgiaStateUniversityAuthorLeslieS.LeightonVisitingLecturerofHistory,GeorgiaStateUniversityDisclosurestatementLeslieS.Leightondoesnotworkfor,consult,ownsharesinorreceivefundingfromanycompanyororganisationthatwouldbenefitfromthisarticle,andhasdisclosednorelevantaffiliationsbeyondtheiracademicappointment.PartnersGeorgiaStateUniversityprovidesfundingasafoundingpartnerofTheConversationUS.ViewallpartnersEmailTwitterFacebookLinkedInWhatsAppMessengerOneofthefront-linedefensesindividualshaveagainstthespreadofthecoronaviruscanfeeldecidedlylow-tech:hand-washing.Infact,itwas19th-centuryHungarianphysicianIgnazSemmelweiswho,afterobservationalstudies,firstadvancedtheideaof“handhygiene”inmedicalsettings.Thesimpleactofhand-washingisacriticalwaytopreventthespreadofgerms.Here’showSemmelweis,workinginanobstetricswardinViennainthe19thcentury,madetheconnectionbetweendirtyhandsanddeadlyinfection.Benefitsofcleanliness,symbolicandrealThehistoryofhand-washingextendsbacktoancienttimes,whenitwaslargelyafaith-basedpractice.TheOldTestament,theTalmudandtheQuranallmentionhand-washinginthecontextofritualcleanliness.Ritualhand-washingappearstohavecomewithpublichealthimplications.DuringtheBlackDeathofthe14thcentury,forinstance,theJewsofEuropehadadistinctlylowerrateofdeaththanothers.Researchersbelievethathand-washingprescribedbytheirreligionpro