When did Alexander Gordon publish his findings which encouraged surgeons to wash their hands and clothed in chlorinated water to prevent child-bed fever?

Study for the WJEC GCSE History of Medicine Test. Engage with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question providing hints and explanations. Prepare for your exam effectively!

Multiple Choice

When did Alexander Gordon publish his findings which encouraged surgeons to wash their hands and clothed in chlorinated water to prevent child-bed fever?

This question tests recognition of an early, hygiene-based approach to preventing puerperal fever, treating it as contagious and stoppable by cleanliness. Alexander Gordon published his findings in 1795, arguing that the deaths from childbed fever could be reduced if those attending births washed their hands and clothing in chlorinated water before treating a labouring woman. This was an early step in antiseptic thinking, occurring long before the better-known handwashing work of Semmelweis in the 1840s.

So, 1795 is the correct date because it places Gordon’s publication in the late 18th century, aligning with his lifetime. The other dates don’t fit his timeline or the historical record of this particular discovery.

When did Alexander Gordon publish his findings which encouraged surgeons to wash their hands and clothed in chlorinated water to prevent child-bed fever?

Study for the WJEC GCSE History of Medicine Test. Engage with flashcards and multiple choice questions, each question providing hints and explanations. Prepare for your exam effectively!

When did Alexander Gordon publish his findings which encouraged surgeons to wash their hands and clothed in chlorinated water to prevent child-bed fever?

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