LEVIT

LEVIT Vladimir Semenovich (born in 1883), prominent surgeon. In 1901 he entered the medical faculty of the University of Königsberg (Germany), which he graduated from in 1906; he presented his graduation paper, written under the guidance of Benecke, on necrosis of the pancreas caused by experimental ischemia. L. began his medical career as a traveling zemstvo physician of the Ardatskoe zemstvo. In 1908 he worked in the surgical department of the Smolensk hospital under S. I. Spasokukotsky. At the end of 1908 he was invited as a surgeon to the Ardatskoe hospital and worked there until 1914. During his work in the zemstvo, he repeatedly took long-term foreign scientific business trips. In 1914 L. defended his dissertation. In 1914 he was elected head of the surgical department of the Simbirsk provincial hospital. In 1919 he was elected an intern at the faculty surgical clinic of Tomsk University (Mys) and in the same year became a privat-docent at this clinic. At the same time for 2 years L. worked in histology under Chasovnikov and wrote a paper on the significance of the so-called mucous cells of the peptic glands of the mammalian stomach. In 1922 he was elected professor of the faculty surgical clinic of Irkutsk University, and in 1926--professor of the hospital surgical clinic of the 2nd MSU. During his medical and academic career L. wrote more than 50 works of clinical, experimental and histological nature, devoted to various branches of surgery and published mostly in various Russian and German journals. The largest place is occupied by questions of stomach surgery. In particular it is necessary to note the works of L. on surgery of the cardiac part of the stomach, and for the first time in the USSR he successfully performed resection of the cardiac part of the stomach for cancer of it, and also developed a two-stage method of this operation. A significant place in the works of Levit is occupied by diseases of the autonomic nervous system and their surgical treatment. L. experimentally and clinically refuted the theory of Fischer, who recommended removing the adrenal glands in epilepsy. Under the leadership of L. a series of works on goiter in Transbaikalia was carried out. It is necessary to emphasize that a significant part of his works (14) was written by L. under the conditions of zemstvo work in the absence of a laboratory, appropriate literary sources, etc., which however did not prevent him from successfully tackling a number of serious surgical issues. Of L.'s works published separately, it is necessary to note: "On the question of cancer of the stomach and on palliative operations for it" (dissertation, Kazan, 1914); "On goiter in Transbaikalia" (Irkutsk, 1925); "On the study of basal metabolism with the help of Krogh's apparatus" (Irkutsk, 1926). His active public activities deserve attention. In 1924-26 L.-dean of the medical faculty of Irkutsk University, in 1928-29.-deputy dean of the medical faculty of the 2nd MSU; at present professor of the 2nd MSU, member of the editorial board of the journals "New Surgery", "Central Medical Journal", "Russian Clinic", editor of the surgical department of the BME and other publications. LEVIT Solomon Grigorievich (born in 1894), physician. In 1921 he graduated from the medical faculty of the 1st MSU, after which until 1929 he served as an intern, and then assistant at the hospital therapeutic clinic of the same university. In 1925 he was on a foreign business trip, where he studied physical and colloid chemistry in the laboratory of Rona. In 1928 he organized a bureau of heredity and human constitution [later-genetic department at the Medico-biological institute, of which he has been head to this day (1930)]. In 1929 he left work in the clinic and completely went to work in genetics and theoretical pathology. In 1922-25 he led work in the board of the 1st MSU, in 1926-30.-in the section of natural and exact sciences of the Academy Committee, since 1930 L.-director of the Medico-biological institute. He actively participated in the organization of circles (later societies) of materialist physicians (1924) and materialist biologists (1926), being the first chairman (until 1930 year), and in the second-deputy chairman. Was a member of the "Bund" in 1913-20, from 1920 -member of VKP(b). Participates in editing many publications (BSE, BME, the journal "Science and Marxism" and others). Main works: "Hemorrhagic diatheses" (M., 1929); "Untersucnungcn fiber Treppenallelomorphismus" (Arch. f. Entwicklungsmecbanik, B. CXXII, 1930); a number of works on human genetics ("Medico-biological journal", 1929-30). He wrote many articles on the methodology of biology and medicine.