P273 Contribution to neurology from military medical service during the Russo-Turkish war (1877–1878) and Russo-Japanese war (1904–1905) by V.M. Bekhterev, his colleagues, and students

Abstract

V.M. Bekhterev (1857–1927) developed research in anatomy and physiology of the nervous system, improved methodology on neurological examination and differential diagnosis in clinical psychiatry, elaborated techniques of neurological rehabilitation and is acknowledged as one of the founders of the system of military psychiatry. The neurological and psychiatrical observations were first conducted during the Russo-Turkish war in 1877–1878. As a student of the Saint-Petersburg Medical Military Academy, V.M. Bekhterev joined a voluntary medical group, which localized in different battle places in Bulgaria, including Zimnica, Tyrnow and Plevna. During spring and summer of 1877 V.M.Bekhterev corresponded his observations to the “Northern Bulletin”, a literature, scientific and political progressive journal. During Russo-Japanese war (1904–1905), one of Bekhterev‘s students S.D. Vladychko headed the psychiatry department in Port-Artur, which later was evacuated by sea to Odessa. On the ground of this experience S.D. Vladychko defended one of the first dissertations in the field of military psychiatry under supervision by V.M. Bekhterev. The difficulties in detachment of psychiatrical and neurological diagnoses, the organizational problems and the rehabilitation were a field of research of the students of V.M. Bekhterev during the I World War, mentioning V.P. Osipov, S.A. Preobrazshensky, N.M. Dobrotvorsky. These achievements were acknowledged and applied by the USA in the II World War, in Korea and Vietnam, and by Israel in Middle East conflict. The report is elaborated with help of the Archives of the Saint-Petersburg Psychoneurological scientific and research institution by the name of V.M. Bekhterev and the State Archive of Saint-Petersburg.