Nil Filatov

Nil Filatov

Russian physician, founder of the Russian pediatric school.
Date of Birth: 02.06.1847
Country: Russia

Content:
  1. Early Life and Education
  2. Moscow
  3. Medical Career
  4. Academic Achievements
  5. - "Semiotics and Diagnosis of Childhood Diseases"
  6. Serum Therapy
  7. Personal Life
  8. Hospitals Named in His Honor

Early Life and Education

St. Petersburg

On December 31, 1834, Nil Fyodorovich Filatov was born in St. Petersburg, near Alarchin Bridge. The first Nicholas Pediatric Hospital in Russia, now known as Infectious Hospital No. 18 named after N.F. Filatov, was established near the bridge.

Moscow

Filatov received his specialized medical education at Moscow University. In 1876, he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree with a dissertation on the relationship between bronchitis and acute catarrhal pneumonia. The following year, he was appointed as a Privatdozent in Pediatrics.

Medical Career

Private Practice

Initially, Filatov worked as a rural physician. Later, he traveled abroad to study pediatric medicine extensively.

Academic Achievements

As an Associate Professor at the Children's Hospital in Moscow, Filatov gained a large following of students and physicians. He identified several new disease forms, including scarlatinous rubella, infectious mononucleosis, and the Koplik's spot (an early sign of measles).

Filatov's meticulous observations and deductions resulted in several textbooks that went through numerous editions in a short period of time. His most notable works include:

- "Semiotics and Diagnosis of Childhood Diseases"

- "Lectures on Open Infectious Diseases in Children"
- "Clinical Lectures"

These manuals were widely translated into German, French, Italian, Czech, and Hungarian.

Serum Therapy

Together with G.N. Gabrichevsky, Filatov introduced serum therapy for diphtheria.

Personal Life

Filatov was a passionate chess enthusiast. One evening, he confessed to his wife that he had been playing chess instead of going home after work. To his astonishment, the young boy he had been playing against turned out to be the future world champion, Alexander Alekhine.

Hospitals Named in His Honor

Moscow
- City Children's Clinical Hospital No. 13 (Filatovskaya)
- Filatov Hospital in the Vykhino district
St. Petersburg
- Infectious Hospital No. 18 named after N.F. Filatov
- Children's Infectious Hospital No. 5 named after Filatov

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