Petr Diatroptov

DIATROPTOV, Petr Nikolayevich (born 1859), a prominent Russian bacteriologist, hygienist, and public figure. Diatroptov's career began in the mid-1880s as a sanitary physician in Elisavetgrad Uyezd. In 1892, he was appointed head of the Odessa Bacteriological Station. During this period of his activity, he widely established the practice of Pasteur vaccinations and organized the production of anti-diphtheria and other sera; actively participating in the fight against cholera, and in 1901–02 against plague, he thoroughly studied the nature of this epidemic. In 1907, Diatroptov was arrested and exiled from Odessa, then returned in view of the appearance

of the danger of plague and again deprived of the post of station head when this danger passed. In 1910, Diatroptov was elected professor at the Higher Women's Courses (now the 2nd Moscow State University) in the Department of Public Hygiene. Subsequently, he also held the chair of general hygiene at the 2nd Moscow State University (until 1925). Diatroptov took a close part in the work of the Moscow Sanitary Organization and worked in the Pirogov Society as a board member and editor of the journal Obschestvenny Vrach. During these years, Diatroptov repeatedly organized courses for sanitary physicians at his laboratory; the courses attracted many listeners from among sanitary physicians working on the periphery. During the war, Diatroptov was a member of the Main Committee of the Zemsky Union and head of the medical and sanitary organization. From 1918, Diatroptov took part in the organization and work of the Academic Medical Council of the People's Commissariat of Health (as its vice-chairman) and was the organizer of the State Scientific Institute of Public Health and the Sanitary-Hygienic Institute of the People's Commissariat of Health, and from 1928 he became director of the State Institute of Experimental Therapy and Control of Sera and Vaccines. Diatroptov's scientific work cannot be separated from his public activity: he was never a narrow specialist, and the issues of bacteriology and hygiene were always developed by him from the standpoint of sanitation and public health. In 1928, by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars, Diatroptov was awarded the title of Honored Scientist. Among Diatroptov's scientific works, one must mention experimental studies on cholera, diphtheria, anthrax, and plague, materials on the sanitary evaluation of sewage farms, and many others. Diatroptov is one of the editors of the journal Gigiena i Epidemiologiya and a contributor to a number of other hygienic and bacteriological journals. Diatroptov is a co-editor of the Great Medical Encyclopedia for the department of hygiene and bacteriology.