“Doctor” is when capitalized. Russian scientists, researchers, discoverers are doctors who have not broken. Which were not stopped by the horrors of the war years, the level of development of medicine, the disapproval of colleagues and the system, the fear of the unknown and personal tragedies. In our short review, the most famous Russian doctors who left a big imprint in the history of Russia with their works.
1
Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov (1810-1881)
Portrait of Pirogov N.I. brushes Ilya Repin
One of the forefathers of modern scientific surgery lived and changed the future in the 19th century, when antiseptics and anesthesia were not even looming, and the doctors and their few surviving patients were “content” with amputations.
The struggle of Nikolai Ivanovich with the death and torment of soldiers especially unfolded in the Crimean War, the defense of Sevastopol. Russia lost that battle, but the victory in the war for human lives remained with it.
Pirogov turned the medical world over with inventions and reforms:
- The first atlas of topographic anatomy, one of the most detailed.
- Anesthesia. He introduced ether, the first to offer rectal anesthesia and used it in a military setting.
- Gypsum bandage. Until now, doctors have used starch, which has become soaked with pus and blood.
- Having laid the foundation for field surgery, Pirogov developed many operations and techniques, introduced the primary distribution and, even before antiseptics, the separation of the wounded. Attracted the sisters of mercy to the hospital.
- He became the forefather of several areas in surgery and wrote world-famous atlases, studying cuts of frozen corpses.
Moreover, Pirogov was actively involved in public affairs: he conducted research, organized Sunday schools, struggled with the system of physical punishment and released many luminaries of Russian medicine from under his wing.
2
Ivan Mikhailovich Sechenov (1829-1905)
Portrait of Sechenov I.M. brushes of Ilya Repin.
The first Russian specialist in physiology, a member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences, a holder of several orders. As a student, Sechenov doubted the naked scientific nature of medicine, the real origin of the disease.
The future physician was horrified by the methods of treatment of the 19th century. But, having studied in Germany and having spent hundreds of hours experimenting, he managed to change that.
Sechenov's inventions:
- The scientific term "behavior" (as a subject of psychology).
- "Blood pump" - to study the effect of alcohol on human blood.
- The fundamental work "Reflexes of the brain" to this day is the alma mater of neurobiology.
- The first physiological laboratory in Russia.
The doctor did a tremendous job of compiling a severely damaged scientific base of physiology. Strongly influenced the understanding and acceptance by compatriots of the Darwinian theory. He advocated the abolition of female discrimination.
Sechenov, with his Reflexes, was even accused at the state level for ... undermining the idea of the divine principle of the human soul. However, time put everything in its place: the next generation realized the invaluable contribution of the professor to medicine.
3
Sergey Petrovich Botkin (1832-1889)
Portrait of Botkin S.P. Kramskoy brush I.N.
If Botkin’s activities were moved today’s screens, it would be something like “House Doctor” and “Bykov” in one person. An ingenious diagnostician, "sighted at the root" of every person he encounters on his way. For him, there were no healthy people, only underestimated ones.
The professor’s work has fundamentally changed the current approach to treatment:
- He founded the doctrine of the integrity of the organism as an interacting system of organs. First examined, and then asked: "What are you complaining about?" In fact, he originated the theory of clinical medicine.
- He was one of the pioneers of women's medical schools.
- Created the direction of "nervousness."
- He opened a laboratory for the study of drugs.
- He achieved the construction of the first free hospital and outpatient clinic.
- He trained almost a hundred doctors of sciences.
Botkin headed the St. Petersburg Medical and Surgical Academy, where everyone was treated - from a simple worker to a member of the royal family.
4
Nikolai Vasilievich Sklifosovsky (1836-1904)
Honored professor, student of Pirogov, activist and reformer, who saved lives in wars for decades.
Sklifosovsky did a lot for surgery and medicine in general:
- He became one of the founders of abdominal surgery.
- The first to introduce aseptic and antiseptic methods in the operation process.
- He came up with the “Russian castle” - the connection of bones with pseudoarthrosis, the “saving treatment” of gunshots.
- He fought for bringing field hospitals closer to the battlefield.
- Headed the first Russian team of female surgeons.
- He has written over 70 scientific papers.
Sklifosovsky was a tall man. And one of his colleagues, who did not share his views, once joked that the professor was so big, but he was afraid of tiny, invisible bacteria. But the colleague was mistaken: Nikolai Vasilievich became a hero. As often happens - a difficult fate.
His son was in a terrorist group and shot himself when he could not kill the Poltava official ordered by him - a friend of their family.
In the troubled beginning of the twentieth century, despite the Lenin document on immunity, the Cossacks brutally dealt with the wife and eldest daughter of the legendary doctor. He saved millions of lives of contemporaries and descendants, but could not save his family.
In honor of Sklifosovsky named the largest Moscow traumatology and not
5
Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov (1845-1916)
Immuno, physio, embryo, pato, cyto, gerontology, microbiology - the fields of activity of the great Russian and French doctor and researcher can be listed for a long time.
- Mechnikov was among the founders of many of these sciences.
- He discovered phagocytosis and intracellular digestion.
- He formed the doctrine of colonic dysbiosis.
- He made countless discoveries about man, methods of treatment, prevention and medication.
- He organized the first bacteriological station in Russia.
- He left a legacy of medical works "with a philosophical bias."
Ilya Ilyich believed that the human body should live longer, that pessimism greatly affects physical health, and medicine should strive to prevent rather than cure diseases. Dozens of streets, institutes, hospitals are named after him. Memorials, monuments, and even postage stamps were established for him. This is the least that descendants can do in gratitude for Mechnikov’s contribution to science and medicine.
6
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936)
One of the most respected Russian and Soviet scientists, vivisector, academician, Nobel laureate, state adviser. These are far from all regalia and, most importantly, the areas of work of Ivan Petrovich.
Starting with the circulatory system, he delved into the study of the digestive system.
- The founder of the science of higher nervous activity, - discovered and divided the types of reflexes, the laws of many nervous processes; investigated the phases of sleep.
- Experiments on dogs "exposed" the system of gastric secretion, isolated pure gastric juice.
- Developed methods of operation to create an "isolated ventricle."
- Conducted "chronic experiments" - observation of animals in conditions close to natural.
- He made a huge contribution to science through his work on the types of nervous systems.
- He influenced many related areas, prompting the opening of scientific schools of psychiatry, surgery, neuropathology.
- He opened the largest school of physiologists.
Hospitals, motels, schools, foundations, streets, magazines are named after the scientist. Even the asteroid "Pavlovia" (1923) and a crater on the back of the Earth's satellite.
7
Levushkina Alla Ilyinichna (1927-2020)
The first proctologist Ryazan, founder of the eponymous department in the local Regional Clinical Hospital. She did not conduct scientific activity, did not advance to prestigious international scientific prizes, but her fame went far beyond the borders of the country. So in the popular center of laser proctology, where the most modern methods of treatment are always used, Alla Ilinichna is considered the best doctor of the 21st century. She is remembered as the best proctologist surgeon, possessing not only talent, but also a great love for people, for nature, for all living things.
At the 3rd year of study at the Moscow Medical Institute, Levushkina assisted the surgeon Petrovsky, the future Minister of the USSR. Then she had to stand on a stand to reach the operating table. With this jokingly nicknamed "carriage" colleagues, the surgeon worked until the last years of her practice.
- She passed a harsh medical school in medical aviation, conducting operations even in the open air.
- The only one among her surroundings agreed to be trained by a surgeon-proctologist and in less than six months she became the only professional in her region in this field.
- Always lived by the principle of “Who, if not me?”. Whenever possible, she preferred to work in remote villages; she always took on “impossible” operations that her colleagues refused.
- Awarded many prizes and awards.
Severely ill legs did not affect the clarity of mind and accuracy of the hands of a female surgeon. She only had to leave her "carriage", transfer to a special chair and - continue to work.
Alla Ilyinichna stopped medical activity only two years before her death. Her experience was 67 years old, full of discoveries, difficulties, but incredible optimism and over ten thousand rescue operations.
8
Valery Ivanovich Shumakov (1931-2008)
The luminary of domestic cardiac surgery, director of the Research Institute of Transplantology, academician who has performed thousands of the most complicated operations in his life.
Despite misunderstandings from colleagues and the system, Shumakov almost single-handedly made a breakthrough in medicine.
- He was among the founders of clinical transplantology in the USSR.
- He performed the country's first transplant of a heart, liver and pancreas.
- He achieved the state act of stating death on the basis of brain death. For several decades, Shumakov fought for the opportunity to use the organs of the dead with such a diagnosis; whereas in many countries of the world such a practice already existed.
- He kept the walls of his native research institute during perestroika, and most operations were free.
Valery Ivanovich conducted almost daily operations until the last days of his life. He worked on the artificial heart project for a long time, but was never able to bring it to life due to lack of funding.
9
Leo Antonovich Boqueria (1939)
Photo: Boris Bukhtiyarov for “Evening Moscow”
Chief cardiac surgeon of the Ministry of Health, inventor, teacher and Honored Man of Science.
- A pioneer and initiator of minimally invasive heart surgery.
- His hands belong to one of the world's first simultaneous, most complicated heart operations, the first in the country to implant cardio-defibrillators.
- Boqueria developed and implemented methods and devices (more than 150 patents) for the treatment of coronary heart disease, myocardium, coronary artery bypass grafting and many other practices.
- He opened several completely new sections of cardiac surgery, the first and only auto-history of the disease of cardio patients with tens of thousands of names.
- He was the editor-in-chief of a number of scientific journals.
Boqueria's list of achievements in medicine is unlikely to fit into one volume. And at the same time, as a true genius, the doctor never considered his work to be something out of the ordinary. He just did what he liked. The editors of most-beauty wish Leo Antonovich good health.
10
Nikolai Andreevich Graziansky (1942-2019)
Professor, member of the Association of Specialists in Atherothrombosis, scientific editor of the journal "Cardiology".
Nikolai Andreevich conducted active research and medical activities from his student years and, under the legendary Lukomsky, decided on his direction in medicine - myocardial infarction and unstable angina.
- Introduced a number of invasive methods for examining the heart.
- He headed the first team in the Union that performed angioplasty of the coronary artery and the other, who performed the clinical trial with a double blind method.
- He developed many methods of treatment and diagnosis of symptoms and consequences of coronary heart disease.
- He presented the world with more than three hundred scientific works in his field.
Graziansky taught, described, introduced modern and unique methods of treatment. Always zealously defended his medical point of view - and turned out to be right.
If not for the colossal work, selfless devotion to the cause and love for the humanity of these Doctors, our today's life would be completely different. If it were at all.
So our short list has come to an end. As you can see, many Russian doctors left a huge mark in the history of medicine. What doctors would you like to mention in this article? Write to us in the comments about this.