Levshin

LEVSHIN Lev Lvovich (1842-1911), prominent physician, surgeon. After graduating from the Med.-Surg. Academy in 1866, he was assistant to Prof. Kiter, and then on a foreign assignment (1869-70). In 1870, he defended his dissertation on the blood and lymphatic systems of the gastrointestinal canal (the research was also published in German in Denkschrift d. K. u. K. Akademie, Wien, 1870). From 1874, L. was professor in Kazan (of general surgery, and from 1881, of clinical surgery); from 1893, professor of hospital surgical clinic in Moscow, where he also founded a cancer institute, of which he was the first director until his death. In 1877-78, he was at the front (Russo-Turkish War). He served for many years as a consultant to the military department and as a member of the Scientific Committee of Military Medicine. Among his scientific and practical merits should be noted the introduction of antiseptics (already in the 70s); he performed the first successful ovariotomy in Kazan (1879) and the first laparotomy for ectopic pregnancy (1881). L. devoted much attention to the organization and equipment of clinics (special work in Letopis russkoy khirurgii, 1893). In Moscow, a cancer institute was built according to L.'s plan; at his initiative, the statistical study of cancer in Russia began. He gave Russia a number of student-professors and many good provincial surgeons. L. belonged to the reactionary professorship. Together with P. Dyakonov, V. Razumovsky, and I. Subbotin, L. edited "Russian Surgery" (vols. I-VI, St. Petersburg, 1902-16). The principal original works of L.: "Anatomical-histological studies of the lymphatic and blood systems in the gastrointestinal canal of the spotted salamander" (dissertation, St. Petersburg, 1870); "Fundamentals of Surgery" (pt. 1-2, Kazan, 1882-86); "On the operation for removing foreign bodies from the brain" (St. Petersburg, 1900); "Injuries and diseases of the coverings of the skull, face, skull and its contents" (Russ. Surg., vol. II, sections 9-10, St. Petersburg, 1902-06); "Surgery in urgent cases" (St. Petersburg, 1909).