Schepin, Konstantin Ivanovich

Early years. Education

Shchepin was born in 1728 in the village of Molotnikov near the city of Kotelnich of the Vyatka province . Shchepin's parents were peasants. By the time he entered the Khlynovskaya Slavic-Latin school in Vyatka, his father had become a ponomarie of the boiler house.

Thanks to his abilities, Shchepin already at school stood out from the circle of his peers. Observing the progress of Shchepin, the teachers advised him to continue his studies at the academy ^[2] . After graduating from the class of rhetoric, 14-year-old Shchepin in 1742 ^[2], on the advice of the Vyatka Bishop Varlaam (Skamnitsky) ^[3] , having covered a great distance, he reached Kiev almost on foot and entered the Kiev Theological Academy . The term of study in this educational institution was not precisely defined and could last from three to ten years. Shchepin was immediately enrolled in the second class, and two months later they were transferred to the third class ^[2] . For Shchepin, wide horizons opened up within the walls of the academy; he became one of the first pupils of the famous school. In 1743, in the fifth grade, its success was assessed by the highest mark “pre-ordained”. He perfectly mastered the Latin language ^[2] , walked in front of other students, and therefore could safely expect to take a later honorary position as a professor at this academy. But at that time there was only talk in Kiev about the then famous V. G. Barsky , who had recently returned from abroad. His notes on foreign life were copied in many copies and read like hot cakes; the stories of his impressions and miracles that were seen worried not only students, but also a large part of Kiev society; it is quite clear that Shchepin was also fascinated by them and decided to go abroad no matter what. ^[3] In 1748 , after passing a class of philosophy and refusing to complete the education of the theological class ^[2] , Shchepin, at his request, was sent to Italy .

Without friends and acquaintances, without money, young Shchepin was in Italy. He visited Florence , listened to lectures on philosophy, medicine, natural science and mathematics at Padua and Bologna universities , then moved to Greece and in May 1751 ended up in Constantinople . Following the example of Barsky, he learned English and Greek in Constantinople ^[4] . From the archives it is known that Schepin back in 1748 became interested in medicine in Bologna . M.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin and M.I. Vorontsov recommended Shchepin at the Academy of Sciences . The archive of the Academy of Sciences stores copies of student certificates Shchepin, where it is recorded that Shchepin listened to lectures of many eminent scientists of that time.

At the Academy, Shchepin worked under the direction of Stepan Petrovich Krasheninnikov, and after three months of persistent training, he was raised from the adjutant to translator . During the joint work of Krasheninnikov and Shchepin, a strong and long friendship arose between them, interrupted only by the death of Krasheninnikov. Shchepin helped Krasheninnikov to study the flora of Petersburg province ^[4] , and after the death of an academician, he raised his orphaned son for some time ^[2] .

At the insistence of Krasheninnikov Shchepin was sent abroad to study botany in Leiden and Uppsalu , he was granted an annual allowance of 360 rubles ^[3] . May 30, 1753 Shchepin from Kronstadt departed for Holland . After landing in Amsterdam, Shchepin went to The Hague . From 1753 to 1754 he studied at the University of Leiden . But, in connection with the death of Krasheninnikov at the end of 1755 , the new circumstances at the Academy of Sciences changed his plans ^[2] : in 1756 he appealed to the head doctor and life doctor P. Z. Kondoidi to admit him to the medical department. After the consent of the Academy and on returning her money spent on his training, on August 31, 1756, Shchepin was sent to Leiden a decree on his transfer to the Medical Chancellery to prepare for a professorship, and his business trip was continued ^[4] . Shchepin wrote in detail to the Medical Office about his stay in Leiden.

In Leiden, Shchepin entered the medical faculty of the local university , after 2 years he graduated from it and on May 9 ^{[3] of} 1758 he defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic “On Plant Acid” ^[5] . It tells about the importance of diet and plant acid food for health and longevity. The basis of Shchepin's judgment was the observation of the lifestyle of the peasants and soldiers of Russia, as well as the experience of traditional medicine. Physical labor, vegetable food containing acids, and kvass, prudent and rare meat consumption - that, according to Shchepin, contributes to longevity. He attached particular importance to a moderate diet and food containing vegetable acids. It is of interest to teach the doctor about the prevention of scurvy and the treatment of patients with this disease. At that time, science did not have knowledge of vitamins and their physiological role. Shchepin noticed that the peasants of Russia, using winter sauerkraut, rye bread and tincture of pine needles, do not suffer from scurvy . He believed that the vegetable acid they contained prevented the disease. On this basis, he proposed a method for the treatment and prevention of scurvy. Shchepin for the first time pointed to the estimated acid contained in plants as an anti-scorching factor. Shchepin was the first to discuss the problem of the preventive meaning of diet ^[2] .

In the same year, he published an addendum to his thesis entitled “Botanical Remarks on Some Plants” ^[6] . Among the plants mentioned in the last work, Shchepin described a new kind of plants and in memory of S. P. Krasheninnikov, who was his first teacher of botany and always awakened the brightest memories in him, called it Crassina - now this name is included in the synonym of the Zinnia genus ( Zinnia ). In Leiden, another one of his essays was published - “On Russian kvass ” (1761) ^[3] .

The money issue was acute for Shchepin, since transfers from Russia were often delayed and were not as large as Shchepin wanted. The director of the Medical Office, P. Z. Kondoidi, who set himself the goal of making Shchepin a qualified medical doctor, did not stop at costs. He decided to send Shchepin to other countries to supplement his medical knowledge. In the program given to him, the task was set not only to study medicine and surgery , but natural science in a broad sense - physics, chemistry. He had, by the way, to pay attention to the "mining business" in England and France ^[7] . In June 1758, Shchepin visited Amsterdam and Utrecht , he was in Rotterdam on the first of July, and from there he sailed to England . In England, Shchepin spent two months, at the end of 1758 he returned from London to Holland. From his trip to England, Shchepin did not take anything useful for himself. The trip to Paris , where he spent about seven months from October 1758 to May 1759, turned out to be somewhat more fruitful. Shchepin in Paris listened to a course of lectures, completed a course of surgical operations , studied anatomy and midwifery . On June 28, 1759, he departed from Amsterdam through Denmark (in Copenhagen he got acquainted with the royal cabinet of natural science ^[3] ) and Sweden (in Uppsala, by chance, he met Karl Linnaeus ^[8] , who hospitably received several books of his own composition and gave him to parting ^{[ 3]} ) to Petersburg. In August, already being a doctor of medicine , Konstantin Ivanovich Shchepin set foot on his native land.

KI Schepina's activities in medicine

Upon arrival in Petersburg, Shchepin made the most favorable impression on Kondoidi, but in order to obtain the right to practice in Russia, Shchepin had to confirm his doctoral status at the official exam , as required by law. Originally, Shchepin was appointed to be a member of the Medical Office as a naturalist (in particular, he had to put in order a natural office at the Medical Office ^[3] , “from time to time to bring the descriptions in the Medical Office“ naturalium ”into order, to have guardianship ” ^[4] ). In 1759, Shchepin passed an excellent exam, and he was given permission to practice medicine in the Russian Empire. In order to acquire the practice, he was given a chamber in the St. Petersburg Main Land Hospital. Shchepin also attended examinations of healers and pharmacists who wanted to receive the degree of a Russian doctor of medicine or healer, and at the same time supervised several student groups. In April 1760, Shchepin was entrusted with drafting forensic medical charters ^[4] ), as well as setting up the hospital due to the large number of patients.

In the process of clinical practice, Shchepin became clear that the treatment of patients could not be carried out according to a pattern, since people differ from each other in age, sex , temperament , lifestyle. However, at the disposal of medical science at that time there were no systematic observations about the dependence of treatment methods on the patient’s individuality. Therapeutic practice did not differ in diversity, and if some doctors saw the meaning of treatment in drugs , sought to find medicines of great healing power by mixing many medicinal substances, the other part focused their efforts on the introduction of traditional medicine into medical use. Shchepin tried to act logically, trying to find an explanation for this or that treatment method. This contributed to the growth of his credibility as a teacher.

During the Seven Years' War, Shchepin in August 1760 was assigned to the military command as a divisional doctor. Shchepin began training military doctors. He was sent to the Bishofsverveshkiy field hospital , where he put into practice his knowledge. Together with the Russian troops Shchepin entered Berlin . During the Seven Years War, Russian sanitary services were at a high level for the first time, in many respects it was the merit of Shchepin, PZ Kondoidi, a mentor. The period from 1760 to 1761 Shchepin spent in hard work. Hundreds of wounded and sick passed through his hands during this time. The war gave Schepin a rich experience. This experience was supposed to serve further more purposeful training of new doctors.

Caring for his future service, Shchepin indicated teaching positions as the most suitable for him. In January 1762, the Medical Registry allowed him to return to Russia. On March 8 of the same year, KI Schepin was appointed a teacher of anatomy, physiology, and surgery at the Moscow Hospital School . Shchepin considered his appointment to Moscow for a new position as a responsible and serious matter, from now on he became a professor . Optionally, Shchepin read pharmacology , botany, and pathology , first drew attention to natural mineral waters, and introduced balneology courses in teaching ^[7] .

Shchepin entered his duties as head of the hospital school at the Moscow General Hospital on March 20, 1762. He quickly entered the line of affairs, stirred up the atmosphere of indifference surrounding the training of doctors in the hospital. A total of 65 students were in charge of Shchepin. They were distributed to sub-clerks, medical students of 1, 2 and 3 preparatory classes and volunteers . The overwhelming majority of students were Russians and Ukrainians, who came from various places: Kiev, Kazan , Pskov , Starodub , Chernigov and other cities. Their average age was from 20 to 25 years.

Schepin proposed a plan and schedule of classes that were approved, and Schepin set about executing this plan. Owning anatomical technology, Shchepin taught his assistants, operators F. Jelačić and Engel, the art of making anatomical preparations. Shchepin often made the preparations himself; in his lectures he first used the data of microscopic anatomy. Under the leadership of Konstantin Ivanovich students had to work out all operations on the corpses . In the process of learning surgery, students used their skills in tooling, first on corpses, and then on living patients ^[7] . Taking care of the students' mastering of the material, Shchepin prepared in Russian two manuscripts - “Anatomical lectures” (1763) and “On anatomy in general” (1764). In them, the professor set out for students the general and particular anatomical teaching ^[2] .

Shchepin introduced a repetition of the passed material with a knowledge test for a week and monthly exams for each science instead of the existing exams for a third of the year. Such a statement fundamentally reinforced the knowledge of students ^[2] . Shchepin took care of the pupils to keep medical records , systematically arranged clinical rounds of hospital patients. These detours, as well as bedside patients, raised pupils with an observation and ability to independently resolve treatment issues. The practice in the hospital was interspersed with lectures on clinical medicine and pharmacy . All these disciplines led one Shchepin. In this regard, his working day lasted from morning to evening. Taking care of improving teaching, Shchepin first sought to ensure that his students thoroughly studied anatomy. He made it obligatory for the students to study a corpse, before it did not pay much attention to it. Pupils Shchepin could assist in operations before graduation from medical school, were higher in their knowledge than their counterparts from abroad. Shchepin quickly won the authority and respect of students and doctors, and his name became a pride for students ^[2] .

Shchepin raised pharmaceutical preparation of healers to great heights, introduced prescription teaching and achieved legalization of the practice of medical students at the pharmacy, ordered books on pharmaceuticals and anatomy from abroad. These measures undoubtedly contributed to raising the general culture of the new generation of doctors.

It ended with Shchepin rebuilding Moscow and Petersburg against himself; many minor troubles and insults followed, denunciations began to be written to him, instead of sympathy everywhere he met a hidden desire to harm him and thus get rid of the restless innovator ^[3] . In connection with the constant squabbles at this time, Shchepin began to suffer avidly ^[4] .

In 1764, Shchepin was sent to St. Petersburg to teach anatomy and surgery in one of the hospital schools, thus ending the most fruitful stage in the life of a scientist associated with the Moscow Hospital School. In November 1765 the building of the anatomical theater of the Shchepino school burned down, preparations, equipment and tools were destroyed in the fire.

In October 1764, Shchepin began lecturing in Russian. This was a novelty for him, as he had previously read his lectures in foreign languages. Shchepin had to develop Russian terminology. On October 16, 1764, he wrote to the Medical Board that it was difficult to teach in Russian: “For I will read ten colleges in Latin better than one in Russian” ^[7] . Reading the course of anatomy in his native language, Shchepin first introduced the Russians, with figurative, anatomical terms. For example, the mastoid process of the temporal bone called "titish", the sinuses - "burrows", the main bone - "saddle" ^[2] .

Shchepin was experiencing hard separation from Moscow. During his work, he had many detractors. The struggle with difficulties, lack of support from the side, undermined Shchepin’s health, in 1766 it worsened.

On April 10, 1766, Shchepin was forced to leave the service and was even deprived of the right to practice in Russia ^[3] "for continuous drunkenness" ^[7] .

In 1766-1767, Shchepin made a trip to the countries of Southeastern Europe ( Moldova , Wallachia and Galicia ), where he collected a collection of plants. Returning to Moscow, he resumed his attempts at rehabilitation. On June 5, 1767, at the behest of Catherine II, Shchepin was allowed private medical practice and teaching in Russia, but on humiliating conditions: the scientist should work under the supervision of stadt-physicist A. A. Rinder ^[2] . He began to disassemble the material he had taken from the last journey, intending to publish a description of the collected plants, but he failed to do this ^[3] .

In 1770, he went to Kiev to fight the plague ("pestilence" ^[3] ) and at the age of 42, he himself fell victim to this disease.

His numerous medical and natural history library and the “collection of dry herbs” (herbarium) were admitted to Moscow University ^[8] , but burned during fires in the 18th century and in 1812 ^[3] .

The remaining information gives an idea of ​​Shchepin as a scientist only in general terms.

The first brief account of the life and work of Konstantin Ivanovich Shchepin was reported by N. N. Novikov in his book The Experience of the Historical Dictionary of Russian Writers ... two years after Shchepin’s death (1772). In 1885 two descriptions of Shchepin’s life appeared at once. A more complete one is placed in a book dedicated to the Kiev Academy, written by V. I. Askochensky ^[9] . A. N. Nikitin ^[10] presented fragmentary information about Shchepin in the form of a cursory sketch attached to his book, among others. Ya. A. Chistovich in his book ^[11] paid great attention to K. I. Shchepin, showed him a patriotically-minded, energetic doctor and teacher. A. Zimmerman connected the data on Shchepin scattered over various sources, the Russian Biographical Dictionary contains a very complete biography belonging to him.

In 1923, surgeon V. A. Oppel made a high and enthusiastic assessment of the value of Shchepin for domestic surgery. He connected with Shchepin a certain stage in the development of domestic surgery.

In the 19th century, ambiguous information tarnishing Shchepin’s personality penetrated Russian literature. The enormous fruitful significance of his activity was hushed up. Distortions of the truth took place on the pages of Soviet books and magazines. Meanwhile, Shchepin developed a scientifically based system of medical education, which, along with deep specialized training, envisaged the broad development of the natural sciences of future doctors. Konstantin Ivanovich compiled training programs for hospital schools according to the level of medical knowledge of the time, collected and summarized the state medical legislation.

Shchepin should be called the founder of the clinical direction in medical education, which many years later remained unattainable for medical schools in England, France and Germany.

In Kotelnich and in his native village Shchepin Molotnikov in the early 1960s, the streets were named after him.

In connection with the bicentennial since the death of Shchepin in 1970, a memorial stele was installed in Molotnikov (author honored artist of the RSFSR F. A. Shpak ).

A memorial plaque is installed on Shchepina Street in Kotelnich (opened on July 21, 1972).

• Richter V. M. Part III // History of Medicine in Russia. - M .: University Printing House, 1820. - p. 486. - 1 + XXXII + 544 + 112 p.
• Shchepin, Konstantin Ivanovich // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : 86 tons (82 tons and 4 extra). - SPb. , 1890-1907. (Verified January 10, 2010)
• Zimmerman A. Schepin, Konstantin Ivanovich // Russian Biographical Dictionary : in 25 volumes. - SPb. - M. , 1896-1918.
• Kupriyanov V. V. The outstanding figure of Russian medicine K. I. Schepin / Ed. prof. B. A. Long-Saburov . - L .: Edition of the Naval Medical Academy, 1950. - 22 p. - (Materials on the history of biology and medicine: Educational-method. Manual for cadets and listeners VMMA; Vol. 3).
• Kupriyanov V.V. K.I. Shchepin - doctor of medicine of the XVIII century . - M .: Medgiz , 1953. - 128 p. - 5000 copies