Khotovitsky

Khotovitsky Stepan Fomich (1796-1885), a prominent Russian obstetrician of the first half of the 19th century. In 1817 he graduated from the St. Petersburg Medico-Surgical Academy and went on a foreign mission. Upon his return he defended a dissertation, which represents an extensive and complete summary of the current state of pediatrics and gynecology in Western Europe and from this perspective is an interesting and valuable source for the history of medicine (1823). Appointed associate professor at the academy, Khotovitsky went to Astrakhan to fight cholera. Subsequently he published a major monograph on cholera ("On Cholera", St. Petersburg, 1832). In 1830 Khotovitsky was appointed extraordinary professor, and in 1832 ordinary professor of the obstetrics department; he held this chair until 1847. Khotovitsky deserves credit for founding the obstetrics clinic at the academy. From 1833 to 1839 Khotovitsky was editor of the "Military Medical Journal", in which he published a number of original articles (among others on menstruation and its diseases, 1830). Among Khotovitsky's original works we should also note his "Pediatrics" (St. Petersburg, 1847). He translated textbooks on gynecology by Carus and surgery by Cooper. In the last years of his life Khotovitsky was a member of the Medical Council.