ISSN 2078-9823 (Print), ISSN 2587-7879 (Online)

DOI: 10.15507/2078-9823.058.022.202202.151-159

УДК 616-036.22:61(091)

Pavel N. Aleshin

Sterlitamak branch of the Federal State Budget Educational Institution of Higher Education “Bashkir State University” (Sterlitamak, Russia),

e-mail: p.n.aleshin@gmail.com

 

Organization of Anti-Epidemiological Measures by Workers of Zemstvo Medicine in Russia at the end of the XIX – at the beginning of the XX century

 

Abstract

Introduction. The bodies of zemstvo self-government, created in 1864 and gradually spreading throughout the territory of the Russian Empire, performed important social functions: the development of education, medicine, assistance in difficult circumstances (crop failure, fires), etc., and this activity was directed primarily on the peasant population. The prevention of epidemics and the provision of medical assistance in the event of their beginning were the most important areas of work of zemstvos. In the provinces, a district network of medical and paramedic points was created which constantly monitored the epidemiological situation in the villages, in a number of provinces special sanitary points were opened. The implementation of anti-epidemiological measures was carried out at the expense of the provincial zemstvo on the proposal of the governor. Special infectious barracks were opened to reduce the number of patients and for seriously ill patients during the epidemic. Employees of zemstvo hospitals carried out work in different directions: conducting explanatory conversations with the population about the observance of sanitary standards, the need for vaccinations for children, vaccinations (mainly for children), examination and prescribing treatment for patients, maintaining medical statistics. Such work yielded results: the number of epidemics and cases decreased, but it was impossible to prevent epidemiological diseases completely until 1917.

Methods. The solution of the set research tasks was provided by a complex of interrelated theoretical (analysis of scientific literature, comparative analysis, comparison, generalization, systematization), empirical (study and generalization of sources) and hermeneutic methods.

Results. Zemstvo medical activity from 1864 to the end of the 1870s only determined the directions of work, was inconsistent and in the field of combating epidemics was fragmented. In fact, the work was not limited to preventing epidemics but to eliminating those that had already broken out. The state did not provide special assistance to the zemstvos in this direction. Only in 1879, due to the strongest epidemic of diphtheria at the government level, “Mandatory rules on measures to prevent the development of infectious diseases” were introduced. In accordance with which, mandatory sanitary and police measures against the spread of these diseases began to be determined.

Conclusion. The selfless work of zemstvo medical workers, the introduction of a system of measures to prevent diseases led to a reduction in both the number of epidemics and the number of cases, but it was impossible to eliminate the epidemics completely until 1917.

Keywords: zemstvo self-government, zemstvo medicine, epidemics, infectious diseases, Kursk province, Ufa province, Russian Empire.

For citation: Aleshin P. N. Organization of anti-epidemiological measures by workers of zemstvo medicine in Russia at the end of the XIX – at the beginning of the XX century. Gumanitarian: aktual’nye problemy gumanitarnoi nauki i obrazovaniia = Russian Journal of the Humanities. 2022; 22(2): 151–159. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.15507/2078-9823.058.022.202202.151-159.

 

References

1. Aleshin P. N. Zemstvo legislation and socio-economic activity of zemstvo institutions (based on the materials of the Ufa province). Problemy i perspektivy razvitiya mestnogo samoupravleniya v Rossiiskoi Federatsii: sb. materialov Vseros. nauch.-prakt. konf. = Problems and prospects for the development of local self-government in the Russian Federation. Collection of materials of the All-Russian scientific-practical conference. Moscow; 2018 : 38–47. (In Russ.)

2. Volkova T. I. Zemskaya folk school and its contribution to the development of Russian education. Yaroslavskii pedagogicheskii vestnik = Yaroslavl Pedagogical Bulletin. 2011; (3): 58–62. (In Russ.)

3. Zavrazhin A. I. Zemstvo reform of 1864 and the development of local self-government in Russia. Gosudarstvennaya sluzhba = State Service. 2009; (1): 108–111. (In Russ.)

4. Karpov L. N. Zemstvo sanitary organization. Leningrad, 1964, 123 p. (In Russ.)

5. Kitsenko O. S., Kitsenko R. N. The formation of the zemstvo sanitary organization in the second half of the XIX – early XX century (on the materials of the Saratov province). Vestnik Permskogo universiteta. Ser.: Istoriya = Bulletin of the Perm University. History series. 2015; (2): 162–172. (In Russ.)

6. Kravtsova E. S. The tax system of Russia at the end of the XIX – beginning of the XX century. Prepodavanie istorii v shkole = Teaching History at School. 2009; (5): 44–47. (In Russ.)

7. Kravtsova E. S. The tax base of the zemstvo self-government. Zemskoe samoupravlenie v istorii Rossii: k 150-letiyu zemskoi reformy: materialy Mezhdunar. nauch.-prakt. konf. = Zemstvo self-government in the history of Russia: to the 150th anniversary of the Zemstvo reform. Materials of the International scientific-practical conference. Moscow; 2015: 155–163. (In Russ.)

8. Kravtsova E. S. Organization of anti-crisis measures in the Kursk province during the famine of 1891–1892. Uchenye zapiski Krymskogo federal’nogo universiteta imeni V. I. Vernadskogo. Istoricheskie nauki = Scientific Notes of the Crimean Federal University named after V. I. Vernadsky. Historical Sciences. 2019; (5): 75–82. (In Russ.)

9. Kravtsova E. S. Organization of assistance to the hungry in 1891–1892 in the Russian Empire (on the example of Kursk zemstvo). Aktual’nye voprosy mestnogo samoupravleniya v Rossiiskoi Federatsii: sb. nauch. st. po itogam I Vseros. nauch.-prakt. konf., posvyashch. dnyumestn. samoupr = Actual issues of local self-government in the Russian Federation. Collection of scientific articles on the results of the All-Russian scientific and practical conference dedicated to the day of local self-government. Sterlitamak; 2018: 15–18. (In Russ.)

10. Kravtsova E. S. Evolution of the system of zemstvo fees in Russia in the second half of the XIX – early XX centuries. Prepodavanie istorii v shkole = Teaching History at School. 2008; (3): 20–25. (In Russ.)

11. Kuz’min V. Yu. The role of the government and the Zemstvo in the formation of domestic medicine of the XVII – early XX century. Izvestiya RGPU im. A. I. Gertsena = Izvestiya RSPU named after A. I. Herzen. 2003; (5): 242–252. (In Russ.)

12. Mironov B. N. A social history of the Russian Empire (XVIII – beginning of XX century). In 2 vol. Saint-Petersburg, 2003. (In Russ.)

13. Morozova E. V. The role of the Zemstvo in the fight against the main epidemic diseases in the Kazan province. Kazanskii meditsinskii zhurnal = Kazan Medical Journal. 2010; (3): 419–423. (In Russ.)

14. Ustyugov N. V., Kharisov A. I., eds. Essays on the History of the Bashkir ASSR. In 2 volumes. Vol. 1. P. 2. Ufa, 1959. (In Russ.)

15. Petrov A. V., Kitsenko O. S. Rural legislation and issues Zemstvo community medicine in Russia in the second half of XIX – early XX century. Vestnik Volzhskogo gosudarstvennogo meditsinskogo universiteta = Bulletin of the Volga State Medical University. 2014; (1): 50–56. (In Russ.)

16. Polyakova E. P. Formation of the system of health care in the Ufa province in the second half of XIX – early XX century. Privolzhskii nauchnyi vestnik = Privolzhsky Scientific Bulletin. 2017; (4): 60–65. (In Russ.)

17. Pristanskova N. I. The organization of zemstvo medicine in the Russian Empire in the XIX century. Izvestiya RGPU im. A. I. Gertsena = Izvestiya RSPU named after A. I. Herzen. 2006; (23): 70–73. (In Russ.)

18. Smirnova E. M. The formation of the zemstvo sanitary organization in the Yaroslavl province (to the 150th anniversary of zemstvo medicine). Zdravookhranenie Rossiiskoi Federatsii = Healthcare of the Russian Federation. 2014; (5): 54–56. (In Russ.)

 

Download article in PDF