Scientific Inquiry: Invention and Test
Carl G. Hampel, Germany (1905 – 1997)Unit: Natural ScienceSubject: Flax-Golden Tales
Literal Comprehension:
This essay is written by Carl G. Hempel and talks about a Hungarian doctor, Semmelweis. His friend noticed that more women died from childbed fever in the First Maternity Division of Vienna General Hospital compared to the Second Division. Semmelweis tried many ideas to find out the reason, but nothing seemed to work.
At first, people thought that childbed fever was caused by an epidemic, but that didn’t explain why it was more common in the First Division. Then, they thought overcrowding might be the reason, but the Second Division was actually more crowded. Since both divisions had the same diet and care, another idea was that rough examinations by medical students might be causing the fever. However, Semmelweis found that midwives in the Second Division also examined patients roughly, yet the death rate was still lower there. Even when the number of medical students was reduced, the death rate did not decrease.
One day, after a doctor accidentally cut his hand during an autopsy and later died with symptoms similar to childbed fever, Semmelweis realized that foul materials from dead bodies were causing the disease. When doctors washed their hands with chemicals before examining patients, the death rate dropped. Later, he also found that dirty matter from living people could spread the disease, showing that proper handwashing was necessary in hospitals.
Interpretation:
This essay shows how scientific research helps find solutions to problems. Semmelweis used experiments and observations to discover that unclean hands were spreading childbed fever. The essay highlights the importance of scientific methods—making guesses (hypotheses), testing them, and using real evidence. It also suggests that chance sometimes plays a role in discoveries. If the doctor had not been injured during the autopsy, Semmelweis might not have made his discovery. The essay teaches that science depends on careful research, not just imagination, beliefs, or guesses.
Critical Thinking:
Science has solved many problems by following proper steps. This essay shows how trying different ideas again and again helps find the right answer. Like Semmelweis, we should not give up easily when looking for solutions. However, we can ask some questions about this essay, such as: Is it always possible to experiment on the human body in every situation?
Assimilation:
This essay taught me the importance of cleanliness, especially handwashing, to prevent diseases. It also showed me the value of continuous effort and scientific thinking. Instead of believing in superstitions or blaming things, we should test and experiment to find real solutions to problems. Now, I understand that trial and error is important, and I feel inspired to solve problems through research and practice.