Fedor Fedorovich Erisman devoted his whole life to improving society. However, in early childhood, he did not even suspect what he could achieve and how his life as a whole would turn out. The works of the great hygienist of the 20th century underlie half of modern teachings.
Biography
The biography of Fyodor Fyodorovich Erisman begins in 1842 in the town of Gontainschwil in Switzerland. The future scientist spent all his childhood in the village, helping his pastor father at work. It is strange that childhood spent with priests did not affect the future of the boy. By his faith and convictions, Fedor grew up as an ardent social democrat.
Fedor was sent to school early, this was not because he showed abilities and zeal for study from early childhood, but because misfortune came to his family.
When the boy was only 4 years old, his two younger sisters died of the disease. And after that, my father died suddenly. Only Fedor and his mother remained in the family.
It was obvious that the boy would need to start working early and bring money to his family, but before that he needed to learn at least basic literacy.
It is for this reason that the mother gave her son to a village school, in which the boy studied for two years and moved to a gymnasium, which was in another city.
At the age of 16, Fedor Fedorovich entered the University of Zurich, at the Faculty of Medicine. Studying so attracted the guy that in his free time he traveled to other cities to attend a course of lectures in various disciplines. These were lectures on pediatrics and therapy, as well as on histology and obstetrics. For in-depth study, Fedor chose ophthalmology. Subsequently, he even defended a dissertation entitled "On Embolism" and for a long time worked as an optometrist.
Personal life of Fedor Fedorovich Erisman
Fedor met his first wife in Switzerland. At that time, Switzerland provided asylum to people from different countries who left their homeland for political reasons. Subsequently, refugees were given the opportunity to study at universities in Switzerland, as well as work there. His first wife was a Russian student Nadezhda Suslova, who graduated from medical university. Subsequently, she became the first female doctor. The marriage did not bring the spouses happiness, subsequently Fedor and Nadezhda divorced.
His second wife, Sophia Gasse, was also a doctor. This alliance turned out to be very successful; love and mutual understanding reigned in the family. Later they had two wonderful daughters.
Advances in science
After defending a dissertation entitled "On Embolism," Fedor devoted himself to a work entitled "The Influence of Schools on the Origin of Myopia." It was after this work that special desks were created, which are still called the Erisman desks.
The contribution to hygiene Fedor Fedorovich Erisman made a colossal. He wrote a large number of hygiene works, having already left Moscow. But the material was taken from his memories of life in a foreign country. He wrote a three-volume "Guide to hygiene, processed according to the best and modern works." And also many other books, but on the same subject.
Here is some of them:
- "Occupational hygiene, or Hygiene of mental and physical labor";
- School Hygiene;
- "Guide to hygiene" and others.
Relocation to Russia
In 1969, the scientist decided to move to Russia and continue his activities there. Erisman shared the ideas of the socialists, was an opponent of class inequality. Perhaps this influenced the decision to leave conservative Switzerland.
Whether Erisman Fedor Fedorovich was really an ardent defender of rights or whether he was offered a well-paid job, remains a mystery. However, it was in Russia that Erisman conducted his research. Throughout his long career as an optometrist, he managed to find out some of the reasons that affect the occurrence of myopia in children.
It was his stay in Russia that prompted him to write his subsequent works.
Contribution to Hygiene
The contribution to the hygiene of Fyodor Fyodorovich Erisman is so great that students of medical faculties are still studying his works. His ideas and thoughts went through the centuries. In his writings, Fedor noted that the health of society depends on the health of each person individually. In the 19th century, few understood how important it is to follow the basic rules of health and hygiene, to maintain a clean body and life.
During his work, the hygienist more than once had to conduct a sanitary examination of houses in different provinces of the Moscow region. After checking Fedor Fedorovich Erisman it was necessary to write acts of the work done. As it turned out later, in most cases, the doctor simply hid how terrible the situation and state of life he saw.
Checks were carried out not only in order to obtain reliable information about the state of life of society, but also to improve this life. In such raids, people were informed about the rules of hygiene, gave advice on improving life, sent to hospitals if there were suspicions of serious illness. It is safe to say that it was the doctors who helped the illiterate population to adapt to new living conditions, as well as learn the standard rules for personal care.
Interesting facts about Fedor Fedorovich Erisman
Who invented the school desk? It is known that Erisman spent a long time in Russia, where he worked as an optometrist. After a long study of physiological changes in children from school, he wrote a work entitled "The influence of schools on the origin of myopia." The following issues are considered in the work:
- How does incorrect posture affect the development of the child’s body?
- How to read at the table?
- What is the optimal reading distance?
Based on the collected data, the scientist developed a desk of his own design. Now it does not seem ergonomic, but for that time it was a very progressive technical solution.
The school desk, which Erisman invented, was really convenient and healthy for children. Serious functional deficiencies were also present. Yet Erisman was a doctor, not an engineer.
So, in the Ural village Pyotr Feoktistovich Korotkov improved the desk and made it multifunctional. First, he attached hooks to the desks, on which children could hang their backpacks and bags. After that, he made a drawer in the desks where students could keep their books and writing instruments. In order to make it easier for students to sit down and get up from their desks, he made a hinged lid. Soon, Erisman's single-seat desk turned into a double and became very popular.
Conclusion
Fedor Fedorovich Erisman lived a wonderful life. He made many discoveries that fundamentally changed people's ideas about hygiene and sanitation. Thanks to his labors, gymnastics began to be used in the school curriculum, which affects the correct formation of the child’s body. Fyodor Fyodorovich Erisman developed a technique for proper lighting, which should be in the classroom, and much more.