Sergei Petrovich Botkin

In Leningrad, in front of the Military Medical Academy is a monument: on a granite pedestal, the figure of an elderly man in an old coat. Man is low, but broad-shouldered, he had his feet slightly apart, hands clasped behind his back, in thought his head bowed on his chest with a large forehead, wise. When in 1908. sculptor In. A. Beklemishev finished work on the monument to Professor Sergey Petrovich Botkin, were still alive, many students and colleagues of a remarkable physician and scientist. They well remember this pose, so well captured by the sculptor ...

The old doctor had just finished viewing the patient. He asked him for a long time, going into every detail of life and disease. Then he listened to his chest vystukal short, old, but wonderfully sensitive fingers, and, rising from his chair, thought. He weighs the facts, compare them, mentally arguing with myself. Now it depends on many things: health, happiness, and perhaps even life of the patient. Diagnosis - the conclusion of the disease - must be accurate. At the doctor's no room for error. This great concern for the doctor-healer of the sick and the strict demands on a scientist-naturalist is very well conveyed a talented sculptor.

Thousands of patients have to say that they are healed by a wonderful doctor, Sergei Petrovich Botkin (1832-1889). Dozens of scientists are proud to call themselves his disciples. As a man of tremendous heart and as a public figure of Botkin highly valued M. E. Saltykov-Shchedrin, and H. A. Nekrasov dedicated to him one of the chapters of his poem 'Who is Happy in Russia'.

Why do so valued C. P. Botkin contemporaries scientist and why his name is revered new generation vracheyN

Sergei Petrovich Botkin was an outstanding Russian physician-therapist (internist - a doctor of internal medicine), the founder of Russian clinical medicine.

He was born in Moscow in a family of merchants. In the house there were Botkins A. I. Herzen H. V. Stankevich, IN. G. Belinsky, T. N. Granovsky, and other progressive people of the time. Their noble Liberation

BOXIES ideas had great influence in shaping the worldview Botkin.

In 1855, Mr.. Botkin, graduated from Moscow University and went with a medical detachment in the Crimea, where at that time was at war. There he was fortunate to work under the guidance of the great surgeon H. I. Pirogov. Working in a military hospital gave Botkin necessary practical skills.

In 1861, Mr.. 29-year-old scientist is Professor of Academic therapeutic clinic, which was led for nearly three decades.

* For many centuries, doctors for the most part acted on the established tradition: if one day some medicine that helped one patient, then in all such cases the drug prescribed and other. Doctors did not think about the fact that every human body has its own characteristics and, consequently, the same disease occurs in one patient did not like the other.

Botkin, one of the first proved that each patient must be approached individually tailored to suit the age, anatomical structure, the condition of the nervous system, living conditions.

Botkin thought: in order to help the doctor was a reasonable and effective, it must deal not only medicine but also other natural sciences.

To study the problems of scientific medicine and physiology Botkin created at his clinic in 1860 - 1861 he. Russia's first experimental laboratory. This produced samples, studied the effect of drugs on the body, observations were made on animals.

Modern medicine must Botkin that he was one of the first noticed what an important role in the human body plays a central nervous system. He realized that the disease does not strike a separate section of the body or authority, and influence through the nervous system to whole body. But perceiving this, the doctor can properly treat a patient. This idea Botkin developed in his writings. His scientific ideas were picked up by most advanced Russian doctors, so we are talking about Botkin as the creator of the national scientific medical school. Soviet doctors continue and develop the basic principles of this school.

Science must Botkin and other major discoveries. At the dawn of microbiology, he claimed that the disease known as jaundice, is caused by microorganisms. This prediction came true: scientists have recently found the causative agent of infectious jaundice, which is now called Botkin's disease.

Botkin has made many remarkable predictions. In his lectures, he expressed, for example, confidence that in the human brain will find special centers that control hematopoiesis, Department of sweat, heat regulation, and t. d. Now we prove the existence of such centers.

Botkin combined scientific work with the public, responding to the many events that worried the progressive men of his era. He was an ardent supporter of women's rights to higher medical education, with its active participation in 1872. were opened in St. Petersburg the first women's medical courses. Together with his friend and physiologist. M. Sechenov Botkin first in Russia made it possible for women doctors to work in the department, which he directed.

A lot of scientist has done for the organization of free medical care to the poor. In 1861, Mr.. He opened his clinic in the first free clinic. Through perseverance Botkin in the early 80-ies of the last century in St. Petersburg and other cities appeared first free hospital for poor.

Impassion Botkin question about the causes of high mortality in Tsarist Russia. He has repeatedly drawn the attention of the Government on the need to improve the sanitary condition of the country.

When the outbreak of the Russian-Turkish war of 1877 - 1878 gg., Botkin put much effort to achieve better living conditions of soldiers, of the hospitals.

In 1877, Mr.. Botkin wrote indignantly to the front of the commanders who 'the blood of the Russian soldier is not the road'. However, in his letters was no place for despair. He firmly believed that Russia will come to a bright future, 'ignorance and mediocrity erased and will be felt tangibly the importance of knowledge, intelligence and talent. Russia did not die, she will come out of this difficulty, but other figures, other people will save it '. Botkin's prophecy was fulfilled with the advent of the Great October Revolution.