One of my favorite true accounts from history is that of Dr. Semmelweis. My grandfather's first wife died after giving birth to my uncle Harold. She died of "childbirth" fever, a common cause of death in new mothers because of an infection that entered through the birth canal when the doctor, or midwife lacked proper sanitation.

There are famous cases of puerperal fever--Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's wife died shortly after giving birth to the future Edward VI.

Semmelweis discovered his germ theory in Vienna clinics for poor women--where he noticed the higher death rate for mothers who were attended by medical students who had just finished performing autopsies. They were accidentally passing germs from the cadavers to the new mothers! Those mothers who were helped by medical students who just had lectures had a much lower death rate. The students were told to wash their hands in a solution of carbolic acid and water, and the death rate dropped dramatically. This was further proof of "germs" that existed on hands. Semmelweiss went insane partly due to stress when few believe his ideas. HE died in 1847--but he is now referred to as the "Savior of Mothers."