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{{Infobox Scientist
{{Infobox scientist
|name = {{PAGENAME}}
|name = Carl Edvard Marius Levy
|box_width =
|image = Carl Edouard Marius Levy.jpg
|image =Carl Edouard Marius Levy.jpg
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|caption = Carl Edvard Marius Levy
|caption = {{PAGENAME}}
|birth_date = 10 September 1808
|birth_date = [[September 10]], [[1808]]
|birth_place = København ([[Copenhagen]]), [[Denmark|Danmark]]
|death_date = {{death date and age|1865|12|30|1808|09|10|df=y}}
|birth_place = København ([[Copenhagen]]), [[Danmark]]
|death_date = [[December 30]], [[1865]]
|death_place = [[København]] ([[Copenhagen]]), [[Denmark|Danmark]]
|death_place = [[København]] ([[Copenhagen]]), [[Danmark]]
|residence =
|residence =
|citizenship =
|citizenship =
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Professor, Dr. Med. '''Carl Edvard Marius Levy''' (sometimes spelled "Carl '''Eduard''' Marius Levy" or in foreign literature "'''Karl Edouard''' Marius Levy") was professor and head of the [[Denmark|Danish]] Maternity institution in [[Copenhagen]] ([[Fødsels- og Plejestiftelsen]]).
'''Carl Edvard Marius Levy''' (10 September 1808 30 December 1865) was professor and head of the [[Denmark|Danish]] Maternity institution in [[Copenhagen]] ([[Fødsels- og Plejestiftelsen]]). His name is sometimes spelled "Carl '''Eduard''' Marius Levy" or, in foreign literature, "'''Karl Edouard''' Marius Levy".


Graduated 1831 from Copenhagen University in Medicine and surgery. Received the university gold medal in 1830. Licentiat (PhD) degree in 1832. Doctorate degree in 1833. He then embarked on a three-year scientific journey which took him to France, Italy and England. Professor extraordinarius in [[obstetrics]] in 1841, professor ordinarius in 1850.
Levy graduated 1831 from [[Copenhagen University]] in Medicine and surgery. Received the university gold medal in 1830. Licentiat (PhD) degree in 1832. Doctorate degree in 1833. He then embarked on a three-year scientific journey which took him to France, Italy and England. Professor extraordinarius in [[obstetrics]] in 1841, professor ordinarius in 1850.


He founded the monthly medical journal: [[Hospitals-Meddelelser]]<ref>Orbituary p125</ref>. He also founded the Doctor's Association [[Den Almindelige Danske Lægeforening]] in 1857, which he headed until 1859. He suffered and eventually died from a heart defect.
He founded the monthly medical journal: [[Hospitals-Meddelelser]].<ref>Obituary p125</ref> He also founded the Doctor's Association [[Den Almindelige Danske Lægeforening]] in 1857, which he headed until 1859. He suffered and would die from a heart defect.


Member of the Jewish church<ref>Biography p255. Translated from: "mosaiske Trosbekjendelse"</ref> but converted to Christianity<ref>Biography p256</ref> in 1840-1841 in order to pursue an academic career.
He was born Jewish<ref>Biography p255. Translated from: "mosaiske Trosbekjendelse"</ref> but converted to Christianity<ref>Biography p256</ref> in 1840-1841 in order to pursue an academic career.


According to his biography, rampant epidemics of [[childbed fever]] at the Copenhagen maternity institution tested his ingenuity and determination. Repeated closures of the institution and the creation of interim locales proved fruitless. After a study tour to England and Ireland in 1846 he completely rebuilt and reformed the maternity institution, however with unsatisfactory results.<ref>Translated from the biography p 257 (in Danish): "Barselfeberens fortsatte voldsomme Hærgen i Fødselsstiftelsen uafbrudt maatte holde ham i Aande og sætte hans Opfindsomhed og Handlekraft paa Prøve. Gjentagen Lukning af Fødselsstiftelsen og Oprettelsen af interimistiske Hjælpelokaler viste sig frugtesløse, og efter at han ved en Rejse til England og Irland i 1846 havde gjort sig bekjendt med de derværende vel ansete Fødselsstiftelsers Indretning, skred man da under hans Ledelse til en fuldstændig Ombygning og Reorganisation af vor Fødselsstiftelse, men ogsaa kun med utilfredsstillende Resultat. "</ref>
According to his biography, rampant epidemics of [[childbed fever]] at the Copenhagen maternity institution tested his ingenuity and determination. Repeated closures of the institution and the creation of interim locales proved fruitless. After a study tour to England and Ireland in 1846 he completely rebuilt and reformed the maternity institution, however with unsatisfactory results.<ref>Translated from the biography p 257 (in Danish): "Barselfeberens fortsatte voldsomme Hærgen i Fødselsstiftelsen uafbrudt maatte holde ham i Aande og sætte hans Opfindsomhed og Handlekraft paa Prøve. Gjentagen Lukning af Fødselsstiftelsen og Oprettelsen af interimistiske Hjælpelokaler viste sig frugtesløse, og efter at han ved en Rejse til England og Irland i 1846 havde gjort sig bekjendt med de derværende vel ansete Fødselsstiftelsers Indretning, skred man da under hans Ledelse til en fuldstændig Ombygning og Reorganisation af vor Fødselsstiftelse, men ogsaa kun med utilfredsstillende Resultat. "</ref>


Professor [[Carl Braun (1822-1891)|Carl Braun]] in Vienna said about the Copenhagen hospital, that "because this is the most appropriate and noteworthy newly constructed maternity hospital, in which every step has been taken to halt puerperal fever epidemics, we allow ourselves to estimate that in this new building under Levy's direction no puerperal fever epidemics will occur."<ref>Semmelweis (1861):187</ref>
Professor [[Carl Braun (obstetrician)|Carl Braun]] in Vienna said about the Copenhagen hospital, that "because this is the most appropriate and noteworthy newly constructed maternity hospital, in which every step has been taken to halt puerperal fever epidemics, we allow ourselves to estimate that in this new building under Levy's direction no puerperal fever epidemics will occur."<ref>Semmelweis (1861):187</ref>


Professor Levy was an outspoken critic of [[Ignaz Semmelweis]]' ideas, that childbed fever was an [[iatrogenic]] disease. Semmelweis theorized that decaying matter on the hands of doctors, who had recently conducted autopsies, was brought into contact with the genitials of birthgiving women during the medical examinations at the maternity clinic. Semmelweis proposed a radical hand washing theory using chlorinated lime, now a known desinfectant, and demonstrated [[Historical mortality rates of puerperal fever#Monthly mortality rates for birthgiving women 1841-1849|dramatic reductions in mortality rates]]. In a rather infamous concluding remark, Professor Levy writes:
Professor Levy was an outspoken critic of [[Ignaz Semmelweis]]' ideas, that childbed fever was an [[iatrogenic]] disease. Semmelweis theorized that decaying matter on the hands of doctors, who had recently conducted autopsies, was brought into contact with the genitals of women giving birth during the medical examinations at the maternity clinic. Semmelweis proposed a radical hand washing theory using chlorinated lime, now a known disinfectant, and demonstrated [[Historical mortality rates of puerperal fever#Monthly mortality rates for birthgiving women 1841-1849|dramatic reductions in mortality rates]]. In a rather infamous concluding remark,<ref>
{{cite journal | last = Levy | first = Karl Edouard Marius | title = De nyeste Forsög i Födselsstiftelsen i Wien til Oplysning om Barselfeberens Aetiologie | journal = Hospitals-Meddelelser | volume = 1 | pages = 199–211 | year = 1848 }}. A translation was published in Germany by [[Gustav Adolf Michaelis]] in 1850, (
<blockquote> These are my impressions of Dr. Semmelweis's experiences; for these reasons I must judge provisionally that his opinions are not clear enough and his findings not exact enough to qualify as scientifically founded. <ref>Semmelweis (1861):186 (translated by Carter, possibly from a German translation)</ref></blockquote>
{{cite journal | last =Levy | title = Gebärhäuser und der praktischen Unterricht in der Geburtshülfe | journal = Neue Zeitschrift für Geburrskunde | volume = 27 | pages = 392–449 | year = 1850
}} Semmelweis (1861):137, translator Carter's footnote 18 p 137.
</ref> Professor Levy writes:
<blockquote> These are my impressions of Dr. Semmelweis's experiences; for these reasons I must judge provisionally that his opinions are not clear enough and his findings not exact enough to qualify as scientifically founded.<ref>Semmelweis (1861):186 (translated by Carter, possibly from a German translation)</ref></blockquote>


The above translation is rather benign compared to the punch in the original Danish quote.<ref>the original quote is (in Danish):"..at, så vidt de endnu foreligge, hans Anskuelser synes for uklare, hans Iagttagelser for flygtige, hans Erfaringer for usikre, til deraf at udlede videnskabelige Resultater", which would translate into: ".. that insofar as they are laid out [could be translated to "provisionally"] his [Semmelweis'] views appears too obscure, his observations too volatile, his experiences too uncertain, to deduce scientific results therefrom"</ref> For more of his criticism, see [[Semmelweis' ideas rejected as unscientific]].
The above translation is rather benign compared to the punch in the original Danish quote.<ref>the original quote is (in Danish):".. at, så vidt de endnu foreligge, hans Anskuelser synes for uklare, hans Iagttagelser for flygtige, hans Erfaringer for usikre, til deraf at udlede videnskabelige Resultater.", which would translate into: ''".. that insofar as they are laid out [*] his [Semmelweis'] views appears too unclear, his observations too volatile, his experiences too uncertain, to deduce scientific results therefrom."'' The sentence before *) could perhaps be translated to the meaning "I must judge provisionally (that) .." The original text is available (in Danish) as a [[Commons:Image:Levy 1848 De nyeste forsog i Fodselsstiftelsen i Wien etc.pdf|scanned document]] as well as in [[wikisource:da:De nyeste Forsög i Födselsstiftelsen i Wien til Oplysning om Barselfeberens Ætiologie|plain text]].</ref> For more of his criticism, see [[Semmelweis' ideas rejected as unscientific]].

{{Euro-academic-bio-stub}}


==See also==
==See also==
{{Commons|Image:Levy 1848 De nyeste forsog i Fodselsstiftelsen i Wien etc.pdf|De nyeste forsog i Fodselsstiftelsen i Wien (1848)}}
* Two-page obituary published in Illustreret Tidende, Årgang 7, Nr. 328, 07/01-1866 from which the picture is sourced. {{Citation
* Two-page obituary published in Illustreret Tidende, Årgang 7, Nr. 328, 07/01-1866 from which the picture is sourced. {{Cite journal
| last =
| first =
| author-link =
| last2 =
| first2 =
| author2-link =
| title = Professor Dr. med. Levy
| title = Professor Dr. med. Levy
| journal = Illustreret Tidende
| journal = Illustreret Tidende
| volume = 7
| volume = 7
| issue = 328
| issue = 328
| pages = 125-126
| pages = 125–126
| date = 7th January
| date = 7 January 1866
| year = 1866
| url = http://www.illustrerettidende.dk/iti_pub/cv/main/Haefte.xsql?nnoc=&p_AargangNr=7&p_HaefteNr=328
| url = http://www.illustrerettidende.dk/iti_pub/cv/main/Haefte.xsql?nnoc=&p_AargangNr=7&p_HaefteNr=328
}}. Pdf versions of pages available [http://img.kb.dk/iti/07/pdf/iti_07_0129.pdf here], and [http://img.kb.dk/iti/07/pdf/iti_07_0130.pdf here]
| doi =
| id = }}. Pdf versions of pages available on http://img.kb.dk/iti/07/pdf/iti_07_0129.pdf, and http://img.kb.dk/iti/07/pdf/iti_07_0130.pdf


* Entry in the Danish biography (1887–1905) [[Dansk biografisk lexikon]] (in Danish). Available online. Levy's biography is in Volume X, page 255 and onwards, see [https://runeberg.org/dbl/10/0257.html here] and onwards.
* {{cite book | first = Ignaz | last = Semmelweis | coauthors = K. Codell Carter (translator and extensive foreword) | title = Etiology, Concept and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever | publisher = University of Wisconsin Press, September 15, 1983 | date = 1861 | isbn = 0299093646 }}


==References==
* Entry in the Danish biography (1887-1905) [[Dansk biografisk lexikon]] (in Danish). Available online. Levy's biography is in Volume X, page 255 and onwards, see http://runeberg.org/dbl/10/0257.html and onwards.
<references/>


{{cite book | first = Ignaz | last = Semmelweis | translator = K. Codell Carter | title = Etiology, Concept and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever | publisher = University of Wisconsin Press, September 15, 1983 | year = 1861 | isbn = 0-299-09364-6 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/etiologyconcepta0000unse }}
* There is a more extensive article on the Swedish Wikipedia (in Swedish). http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Edvard_Marius_Levy. The Swedish wiki entry is based on the Danish biography, well Wiki-linked with related persons.


{{Authority control}}
==References==
<references/>


{{DEFAULTSORT:Levy, Carl}}
[[sv:Carl Edvard Marius Levy]]
[[Category:1808 births]]
[[Category:1865 deaths]]
[[Category:Danish Christians]]
[[Category:Jewish Danish scientists]]
[[Category:Converts to Protestantism from Judaism]]
[[Category:University of Copenhagen alumni]]
[[Category:Danish obstetricians]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Copenhagen]]
[[Category:Physicians from Copenhagen]]

Latest revision as of 04:45, 26 December 2023

Carl Edvard Marius Levy
Carl Edvard Marius Levy
Born10 September 1808
København (Copenhagen), Danmark
Died30 December 1865(1865-12-30) (aged 57)
NationalityDanish
Scientific career
FieldsObstetrics, Pediatrics

Carl Edvard Marius Levy (10 September 1808 – 30 December 1865) was professor and head of the Danish Maternity institution in Copenhagen (Fødsels- og Plejestiftelsen). His name is sometimes spelled "Carl Eduard Marius Levy" or, in foreign literature, "Karl Edouard Marius Levy".

Levy graduated 1831 from Copenhagen University in Medicine and surgery. Received the university gold medal in 1830. Licentiat (PhD) degree in 1832. Doctorate degree in 1833. He then embarked on a three-year scientific journey which took him to France, Italy and England. Professor extraordinarius in obstetrics in 1841, professor ordinarius in 1850.

He founded the monthly medical journal: Hospitals-Meddelelser.[1] He also founded the Doctor's Association Den Almindelige Danske Lægeforening in 1857, which he headed until 1859. He suffered and would die from a heart defect.

He was born Jewish[2] but converted to Christianity[3] in 1840-1841 in order to pursue an academic career.

According to his biography, rampant epidemics of childbed fever at the Copenhagen maternity institution tested his ingenuity and determination. Repeated closures of the institution and the creation of interim locales proved fruitless. After a study tour to England and Ireland in 1846 he completely rebuilt and reformed the maternity institution, however with unsatisfactory results.[4]

Professor Carl Braun in Vienna said about the Copenhagen hospital, that "because this is the most appropriate and noteworthy newly constructed maternity hospital, in which every step has been taken to halt puerperal fever epidemics, we allow ourselves to estimate that in this new building under Levy's direction no puerperal fever epidemics will occur."[5]

Professor Levy was an outspoken critic of Ignaz Semmelweis' ideas, that childbed fever was an iatrogenic disease. Semmelweis theorized that decaying matter on the hands of doctors, who had recently conducted autopsies, was brought into contact with the genitals of women giving birth during the medical examinations at the maternity clinic. Semmelweis proposed a radical hand washing theory using chlorinated lime, now a known disinfectant, and demonstrated dramatic reductions in mortality rates. In a rather infamous concluding remark,[6] Professor Levy writes:

These are my impressions of Dr. Semmelweis's experiences; for these reasons I must judge provisionally that his opinions are not clear enough and his findings not exact enough to qualify as scientifically founded.[7]

The above translation is rather benign compared to the punch in the original Danish quote.[8] For more of his criticism, see Semmelweis' ideas rejected as unscientific.

See also

[edit]
  • Two-page obituary published in Illustreret Tidende, Årgang 7, Nr. 328, 07/01-1866 from which the picture is sourced. "Professor Dr. med. Levy". Illustreret Tidende. 7 (328): 125–126. 7 January 1866.. Pdf versions of pages available here, and here
  • Entry in the Danish biography (1887–1905) Dansk biografisk lexikon (in Danish). Available online. Levy's biography is in Volume X, page 255 and onwards, see here and onwards.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Obituary p125
  2. ^ Biography p255. Translated from: "mosaiske Trosbekjendelse"
  3. ^ Biography p256
  4. ^ Translated from the biography p 257 (in Danish): "Barselfeberens fortsatte voldsomme Hærgen i Fødselsstiftelsen uafbrudt maatte holde ham i Aande og sætte hans Opfindsomhed og Handlekraft paa Prøve. Gjentagen Lukning af Fødselsstiftelsen og Oprettelsen af interimistiske Hjælpelokaler viste sig frugtesløse, og efter at han ved en Rejse til England og Irland i 1846 havde gjort sig bekjendt med de derværende vel ansete Fødselsstiftelsers Indretning, skred man da under hans Ledelse til en fuldstændig Ombygning og Reorganisation af vor Fødselsstiftelse, men ogsaa kun med utilfredsstillende Resultat. "
  5. ^ Semmelweis (1861):187
  6. ^ Levy, Karl Edouard Marius (1848). "De nyeste Forsög i Födselsstiftelsen i Wien til Oplysning om Barselfeberens Aetiologie". Hospitals-Meddelelser. 1: 199–211.. A translation was published in Germany by Gustav Adolf Michaelis in 1850, ( Levy (1850). "Gebärhäuser und der praktischen Unterricht in der Geburtshülfe". Neue Zeitschrift für Geburrskunde. 27: 392–449. Semmelweis (1861):137, translator Carter's footnote 18 p 137.
  7. ^ Semmelweis (1861):186 (translated by Carter, possibly from a German translation)
  8. ^ the original quote is (in Danish):".. at, så vidt de endnu foreligge, hans Anskuelser synes for uklare, hans Iagttagelser for flygtige, hans Erfaringer for usikre, til deraf at udlede videnskabelige Resultater.", which would translate into: ".. that insofar as they are laid out [*] his [Semmelweis'] views appears too unclear, his observations too volatile, his experiences too uncertain, to deduce scientific results therefrom." The sentence before *) could perhaps be translated to the meaning "I must judge provisionally (that) .." The original text is available (in Danish) as a scanned document as well as in plain text.

Semmelweis, Ignaz (1861). Etiology, Concept and Prophylaxis of Childbed Fever. Translated by K. Codell Carter. University of Wisconsin Press, September 15, 1983. ISBN 0-299-09364-6.