Nikolai
Ivanovich Pirogov (1810-81)
Pirogov is the most famous figure in the history of
Russian medicine.
Pirogov's
first famous contribution to medicine was as professor
of the Medico-Surgical academy of St. Petersburg.
Pirogov paved the way in Russia for the scientific
use of anesthesia.
At that
time anesthesia was unknown for surgery and as a result
even minor operations caused patients immeasurable
suffering, and even death. Then in 1840 ether was
first used in an operation carried out in Boston,
USA. Pirogov made many experiments with animals and
tested the effect of the ether on himself and on his
associates before using it as an anaesthetic in the
clinic. It was only after he was convinced that ether
anesthesia was absolutely harmless that he began to
use it on a wide scale in his operations. Later Pirogov
tested and began using another anaesthetic - chloroform.
Pirogov was the first surgeon to make a wide of anesthesia
in field hospitals. (Caucasus in 1847)
Even before
the discovery made by Louis Paster, Pirogov had correctly
defined the cause of inflammation and pus formation
after an operation. To prevent wound infection Pirogov
used substances which are still in use today by surgeons.
Pirogov
was the first doctor in Russia to use nurses to care
for sick and wounded in the field.
This outstanding
surgeon and scientist was also a prominent public
figure. He devoted much of his time to the training
and education. His ideals and his active methods of
teaching were widely appreciated and adopted in Russia
and other countries and profoundly influenced the
development of the system of medical public education.
--from
English
for us
While living in Odessa, Pigorov resided at Deribasovskaya
31 (Дерибасовская) and first suggested the formation
of Odessa State University.
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