Review of Unclean Hands
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- Oyedeji Okikioluwa
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Review of Unclean Hands
Are you looking for a biographical work with stories about medical discoveries and breakthroughs? Unclean Hands by Andrew Schafer dives into the practice of nineteenth-century medicine with the themes of racism, discrimination, and loyalty.
Ignac Semmelweis entered Austria as a wide-eyed eighteen-year-old young man from Hungary. He is keen to acquire knowledge from the "mecca of medicine" and perform service that matters to humanity. With his brilliance, articulate mind, and strong work ethic, the stars could have been the beginning of his career as an obstetrician. But Ignac quickly found out that the medical institution is a battleground where influential personalities war to establish personal fiefdoms with little thought to the lives of the patients that need help. Soon his curiosity and openness to trying out new ideas as a practitioner led to a series of clashes with an institution that is hostile to change. How did Ignac manage to navigate all the numerous challenges and achieve a scientific breakthrough that continues to save countless lives today? Read this book to discover the details.
The book is centered on the life of a Hungarian obstetrician, Ignac Semmelweis. Unclean Hands is a book that documented the triumphs and tragedies of the life of the famous physician. Andrew Schafer fashioned the story of Ignac into a chronological and coherent storyline that was easy to follow and assimilate. I learned about the vastness of the Habsburg empire and the constant rebellions sprouting up in different parts of the empire. Aside from the era's political and social turbulence, the acrimonious rivalry and hostilities between members of the medical community were also acutely presented. I loved how the book talked about medicine as much as it explored other events of the era.
I love the meticulous care that Ignac showered on his patients even as he battled his demons. He was the epitome of the character of an ideal physician, which led to him being called the "savior of mothers." I also love how the author showed the contrasting character of Ignac. He was a less desirable colleague who was unruly and exhibited social behavior bordered on insanity. My favorite scene was the discussion between Marko, Rokitansky, and Spath towards the end of the book. It was a relieving moment for me.
I found only an error in the book, and it showed the book is professionally edited. Therefore, I rate Unclean Hands 4 out of 4 stars because of the clarity of the story. There is nothing I dislike in the book.
I recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction. It is also a good recommendation to medical students and healthcare workers, as it ponders on ethics, roles, and responsibilities of doctors in taking care of their patients.
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Unclean Hands
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- Josephe-Anne
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I'm sure there was a lot of political turmoil in Europe during the era in which this story takes place.
Thank you for an excellent review! I look forward to reading this book some day!
― Horace Mann
- Amy Luman
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