Biography
Ilya Mesnikov is an outstanding scientist whose name is inscribed by gold letters in the history of a number of disciplines from cytology to physiology. Brilliant biologist, "father" of phagocytic theory of immunity, above all appreciated rationalism and science, claiming: if not"To live without faith, the latter can not be different, as faith in the omnipotence of knowledge."Childhood and youth
Ilya Ilyich was born on May 15, 1845 in the village of Ivanovka Kharkiv province (now - Ukraine) in the family with an entertaining history. Father Ilya Ivanovich is a landowner, the Guards officer came from a noble nobleman. Among his ancestors, an outstanding diplomat of the XVII century, polyglot, a participant in the Azov campaign of Peter the Great Nikolai Gavrilovich Spafarium.
Mother - Emilia Lvovna, in Maiden Nevakhovich. The daughter of the richest man of Poland, the financier and the founder of the genre of "Russian-Jewish literature" Lev Nikolayevich Nevakhovich. Uncle accounted for the publisher of the innovative "Elash" and the head of the repertoire of the imperial theaters.
The father was Azarten and easy to rise, so by the time of the birth of the youngest son, the giving a wealthy wife was already estimated, and the family moved to the family estate in Ivanovka. Two elder brothers Mesnikov also later became known. The lion turned into a Swiss geographer, anarchist and a publicist, participated in the Italian movement of the risorgeneto, published notes and essay, and the book "Civilization and Great Historical Rivers" managed to influence the famous Irish modernist James Joyce, the author "Ulysses".
In the biography of Brother Ivana, his most remarkable was its end. The prosecutor of the Tula District Court suffered from a severe purulent disease, which led to death. The last days and reflections of this person formed the basis of the lead of Leo Tolstoy "Death of Ivan Ilyich". Visiting a writer in a clear glade, the prosecutor shared his thoughts, for which Tolstoy identified him with an outstanding, producing an impression. Later, the swords of the biologist will say that the genius of Russian literature gave the "Best Description" of the fear of death.
Family manor in Ivanovka attended home teachers. Among them, a medical student who trained Lion's brother, the only one who was with interest and seriousness belonged to the enthusiasm of the young Ilya natural sciences, pulling to experiments, experiments.
In 1856 he entered the 2nd class of Kharkiv Male Gymnasium No. 2. He graduated from the institution with a gold medal. Throughout study interest in biology did not lose. On the contrary, gladly visited lectures on comparative anatomy and physiology in Kharkov University.
Personalized by the new world of knowledge, Ilya asks the parents to send him to study in Germany, but the cold reception and lack of money forced the young man back back as soon as possible after departure. The chief trophy of this "babble" was the work of Charles Darwin "The origin of species", acquaintance with whom I had a great influence on the future scientist.
Entered the natural branch of the Physical and Mathematics Faculty of Kharkov University. The student program mastered not for 4 years, and for 2, which gave a young scientist advantage over colleagues. Later, swords still "won" Germany. In 1864 he conducted research on the island of Helgoland, then worked in the laboratory Rudolf Lecade in the German campus Gisen.
At the age of 20, he moved to Italy, where he gets acquainted with the biologist Alexander Kovalevsky, who will become his companion and a faithful friend. For joint achievements in the embryology of the young man, the prestigious Award of Charles Baer was obtained. Upon returning to Russia, Ilya Ilyich protects consistently master, and then the doctoral dissertation, managed to receive honorary degrees before reaching 25 years.
The science
The discoveries committed by Mesnikov were revolutionary and not immediately accepted by the scientific community, because the ideas turned over already established ideas about the work of the human body from heads.
Even the fundamental work of the scientist, the theory of phagocytic immunity, for which he in 1908 received the Nobel Prize in the field of physiology and medicine, was criticized.
Before Mechnikov, white blood taurins were considered passive when dealing with inflammatory processes and diseases. The scientist argued that leukocytes are active defenders of the body, which absorb foreign particles inside. The contribution of the scientist is that modern doctors of the world know that elevated temperature is a sign of the struggle of immunity, so it is harmful to shoot it up to a certain mark.
An interesting fact: it was necessary to define the "organism sanitation" to him. Considering the larvae of marine stars in the Italian Messina in 1882, he found that the moving cells (phagocytes) surround foreign bodies entering the larch, and "eat" them.
"It occurred to me," the swords wrote then, - that such cells should serve in the body to counter harmful figures. I told myself that if my assumption was fair, then the zanoza, inserted into the body of the larvae of a starfish, should be surrounded by moving cells with moving cells in a short time, just as it is observed in a person who has risen his finger. "Having stuck pink spikes in the larva, confirmed the theory and then a quarter of a century grinding the knowledge gained, parallel to the production of work on bacteriology, embryology, physiology and a number of other disciplines, some of them will become classic.
In the 1886th returned to Russia, settled in Odessa. There arrived from France and Epidemiologist Nikolai Gamalei, who studied at Louis Pasteur, the method of vaccination against rabies. In the same year, scientists opened the world's second bacteriological station to combat infectious diseases.
A year later, swords immigrates to Paris, where he receives a place at the Pasteur Institute. According to some reports, the scientist decided to depart due to the hostile attitude of the authorities and the scientist community to him. In France, he acquires peace and well-deserved recognition.
Working side by side with the greatest minds of the era, writes impressive works about cholera, typhoid tuberculosis, plague. He remained an employee of the institute until the end of his days, subsequently headed the university. Supported with Russian colleagues, consisting in correspondence with Ivan Sechenov, Dmitry Mendeleev, Ivan Pavlov.
Not only scientific dissertations, research, but also books dedicated to philosophical issues, theory of the Universe, religion came out of the pen. The tireless researcher at the sunset of the epoch was the founder of scientific geontology and introduced the theory of orthobiosis:
"The right life based on the study of human nature and to establish funds to correct its disharmonia."
Considering that a person can live 100 years and longer, swallowders in strengthening the active longevity to the right food regime, hygiene. Only with a happy existence, in his opinion, a person would be fearlessly moved from the "instinct of life" to the "death instinct". Outlined their views in detail in the works of Etudes of Optimism and Etudes about the nature of man.
Among the factors affecting the quality and life expectancy, the scientist highlighted the intestinal microflora. Towing for a long and happy life, popularized the opening of the Bulgarian lactic chopstick with a student with a student. In 1908, wrote an article about the benefits of sour milk. Thanks to Mesnikov, yogurt, kefir and other fermented dairy products are included in the daily diet, providing support to the body.
Personal life
Despite the involvement in science, in the privacy of swordsmen was an emotional person, prone to mood drops. In adolescence suffered by depressions and only the inner peace gained and a positive view of the world.
Twice married. With the first spouse Lyudmila Fedorovich was married in 1869. The bride suffered from tuberculosis and was so weak that she was brought to the church in a chair. After 4 years, Lyudmila died, and impulsive swords decided to commit suicide, drinking morphine. The dose was too large and caused a vomit reflex.
Olga's second wife was his student, a student. There were no children from the pair.
Death
Ilya Ilyich died in 1916 against heart disease, survived before the myocardial infarction.
The body bequeathed with science followed by cremation. The ashes of the scientist is at the Pasteur Institute.
Awards
- 1867 - Karl Bair Prize
- 1902 - Didnote member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences
- 1906 - Copley Medal
- 1908 - Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine
- 1916 - Albert Medal (Royal Society for Arts)