Nikiforov

NIKIFOROV Mikhail Nikiforovich (1858-1915), renowned pathologist-anatomist. After graduating from the medical faculty of Moscow University in 1883, N. initially worked as an extern at the Moscow Old-Ekaterininskaya Hospital. In 1885 he took the position of assistant prosector, and in 1887 the position of prosector at the pathological-anatomy institute of Moscow University. In 1888-1889 he worked abroad under the guidance of Virchow, Ehrlich, and Ziegler. In 1894 he was elected professor of pathological anatomy at Moscow University and held this position until his death. N. was the first to introduce the teaching of pathological histology at the department of pathological anatomy, brought sectional work and the museum to a proper level, and most importantly, being a great expert in microphotography, he created with his own hands a collection of 4,000 colored slides that retain their enormous pedagogical significance to the present day. Many pathologists-anatomists who came out of P.'s school took up positions at departments of pathological anatomy. Among N.'s scientific works, the most well-known are: his dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Medicine 'On pathological-anatomical changes in the spleen during relapsing fever' (Moscow, 1887), in which Nikiforov first clarified the pathogenesis of necroses in the spleen during relapsing fever; works on inflammation (1887-90), which brought Nikiforov world fame, as in them he was the first to actually explain the role of leukocytes in the formation of granulation tissue ('Untersuchungen über den Bau- u. die Entwicklungsgeschichte des Granulationsgewebes', Beiträge zur pathologischen Anatomie, Vol. VIII, 1890); a series

of works on bacteriology (on rhinoscleroma, on cultures of anaerobes, on staining of spirochetes). Much was done by N. for microscopic technique, in particular 'Nikiforov's mixture' (absolute alcohol and ether - in equal parts) for fixing smears is still known today. 'A brief textbook of microscopic technique' (Moscow, 1885) by N. went through 7 editions during the author's lifetime (8th edition, edited by A. Abricosov, Moscow, 1919). N.'s textbook 'Fundamentals of pathological anatomy' (Moscow, 1899) is still very popular, which in the revision of A. Abricosov continues to be republished by the State Publishing House (9th edition, Vol. I-II, Moscow-Leningrad, 1931).