The old guard of domestic medical therapy: Military Medical Academy member V.N. Sirotinin (1855-1934)
The first complete scientific biography of prominent early 20th century Russian physician V.N. Sirotinin is presented. An analysis of archival documents and the published memoirs of Sirotinin’s contemporaries clarify many obscure, contradictory pieces of information concerning his life and work and reveal his role as the successor to S.P. Botkin - the leader of therapeutic clinic practice of the time. The results of competitive elections at the department of the Conference of the Military Medical Academy, the chairmanship of the 1st Congress of Russian Physicians, his approval as honorary private physician and privy councilor (after Botkin), the chairmanship at the Medical Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the testimonials of his contemporaries argue for the Sirotinin’s leaders as Botkin’s successor. In this article, Sirotinin’s scientific legacy is analyzed. It is demonstrated that he was an outstanding bacteriologist and infectious diseases specialist and one of the founders of cardiology - a major scientific field in domestic clinical internal medicine. The authors also consider the period of Sirotinin’s life, which is associated with his participation in the White movement and emigration. In the 21st century, he took the lead in the history of Russian medicine. Not the department of hospital therapy at the Military Medical Academy is named after Sirotinin.