Hüppe and Gyurza

HÜPPE, Ferdinand (Ferdinand Hüppe, born 1852), Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Laws honoris causa, prominent hygienist and bacteriologist. Upon completing his medical education in Berlin and working in the Imperial Health Office (Gesundheitsamt), Hüppe has held the chair of hygiene at the German University in Prague since 1889. At the beginning of his scientific career, together with Gaffky and Loeffler, he took a close part in Robert Koch's work on developing new precise methods of bacteriology. The fruit of this period are his works in the field of bacteriology and epidemiology: "Methoden d. Bacterienforschung" (Wiesbaden, 1891; Russian edition, St. Petersburg, 1893); "Die Formen d. Bakterien" (Wiesbaden, 1886); "Über d. Kampf gegen die Infektionskrankheiten" (Wiesbaden, 1896); "Die Choleraepidemie in Hamburg" (Wiesbaden, 1893) and others. His numerous subsequent works in the field of hygiene are also a major contribution to science; thus, his "Handbuch der Hygiene" (Berlin, 1899; Russian edition, Moscow, 1901) is a manual that has not lost its significance to the present day. In addition, Hüppe's works on questions of racial and social hygiene, social diseases, alcoholism, the hygiene of sports, etc., are very valuable: "Zur Rassen- und Sozialhygiene der Griechen" (Wiesbaden, 1897); "Über den gegenwärtigen Stand der Tuberkulosefrage" (Wiesbaden, 1898); "Alkoholmissbrauch u. Abstinenz" (Berlin, 1904); "Zur Sozialhygiene der Tuberkulose" (Vienna, 1904); "Hygiene der Körperübungen" (Leipzig, 1922; Russian translation, Moscow-Leningrad, 1925); "Sport und Reizmittel" (Berlin, 1913); "Zur Geschichte d. Sozialhygiene" (Hndb. d. sozialen Hygiene u. Gesundheitsfürsorge, vol. I, edited by A. Gottstein and A. Schlossmann, Berlin, 1925).

GYURZA, Vipera lebetina L. (family Viperidae, order Ophidia, class of reptiles), a large snake up to 135 cm long; the male is almost a third shorter. In the USSR, it is frequently found in Transcaucasia and also lives in Transcaspia (Ashkhabad, Geok-Tepe). Above, it is usually gray or light brown with a single row of dark brown spots, sometimes merging into a wavy longitudinal stripe; the median spots on the sides are often bordered with black. The belly is white with dark specks or larger spots. On the upper side of the head, a figure in the shape of the letter izhitsa is visible (see figure). It appears in large numbers during the flooding of rice fields, when human bites by it are also more frequent. It usually inhabits crevices of rocks and clay soil, under stones, in adits, etc. It sometimes winters in vineyards. It swims well in water. A dangerous poisonous snake; its venom can be fatal to humans as well. Mice die a few seconds after being bitten. It feeds on small rodents (rats, jerboas), birds, etc. Pigs devour the gyurza without any danger to themselves. When treating a gyurza bite, it is necessary to inject a 1% aqueous solution of potassium permanganate into the area surrounding the bitten site as soon as possible.