Not a single physiologist in the world was as famous as Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (09/26/1849, Ryazan - 02/27/1936, Leningrad) - the creator of the materialistic doctrine of the higher nervous activity of animals and humans. This teaching is of great practical importance. In medicine and pedagogy, in philosophy and psychology, in sports, work, in any human activity - everywhere it serves as the basis and starting point. The creator of the largest physiological school of our time, new approaches and methods of physiological research, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1925; academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences since 1907, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences since 1917). Classic works on the physiology of blood circulation and digestion (Nobel Prize, 1904). Knight of the Legion of Honor (1915) - the highest award in France.
Born in the city of Ryazan in 1849 in the family of a clergyman. In 1860, at the age of 11, Pavlov entered a church parish school, and after graduating, he entered a theological seminary, but did not graduate. . 60s of the XIX century. were the years of the rise of the liberation movement in Russia. Young people were looking forward to the next issues of leading magazines in which N.A.’s articles were published. Dobrolyubova and A.I. Herzen, D.I. Pisarev and N.G. Chernyshevsky; they also contained works on natural science. Articles by D.I. Pisarev, books by I.M. Sechenov and the popular book by D. Lewis “Physiology of Everyday Life”, the ideas of revolutionary democrats, disputes in Ryazan youth circles did their job.
Ivan Pavlov left the seminary, left Ryazan for St. Petersburg and in 1870 entered the University in the natural sciences department of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. His interest in physiology increased after he read I. Sechenov’s book “Reflexes of the Brain,” but he managed to master this subject only after he was trained in the laboratory of I. Zion, who studied the role of depressor nerves. Pavlov's first scientific research was the study of the secretory innervation of the pancreas. For him, I. Pavlov and M. Afanasyev were awarded a gold medal from the university.
In 1875 he brilliantly completed the course with the academic degree of Candidate of Natural Sciences and entered the 3rd year of the Medical-Surgical Academy (currently the Russian Military Medical Academy of St. Petersburg). He graduated from it in 1879 with a gold medal, receiving a doctor’s diploma, and began working in the physiological laboratory of the S.P. clinic. Botkin, conducting research on the physiology of blood circulation. In 1875, Pavlov received the title of Candidate of Natural Sciences. In the summer of 1877 he worked in Germany with Rudolf Heidenhain, a specialist in the field of digestion. In 1878, at the invitation of S. Botkin, Pavlov began working in the physiological laboratory at his clinic in Breslau, not yet having a medical degree, which Pavlov received in 1879. In the same year, Ivan Petrovich began research on the physiology of digestion, which lasted more than twenty years. Pavlov defended his dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1883, devoted to a description of the nerves that control the functions of the heart. He was appointed privatdozent at the Academy, but was forced to refuse this appointment due to additional work in Leipzig with Heidenhain and Karl Ludwig, two of the most prominent physiologists of the time. Thus, Pavlov was sent abroad to improve his knowledge and returned to Russia two years later.
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (09/14/1849 - 02/27/1936) is the most famous Russian physiologist, founder of the doctrine of higher nervous activity, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Nobel Prize laureate in medicine.
Childhood of a future scientist.
Pyotr Dmitrievich Pavlov, the father of the future Nobel laureate, was a simple person from a peasant family. He served as a priest in one of the parishes of the Ryazan province. Varvara Ivanovna, his wife, also came from a priest’s family. In this poor but pious family little Vanechka appeared. He was the first child in the family (Varvara Ivanovna would give birth to 10 children in total). Vanya grew up as a healthy child. He played with his younger sisters and brothers and helped his father with the housework.At about eight years old, Vanechka began to learn to read and write and, with a delay caused by an injury, entered school. In 1864, he successfully graduated from the Ryazan Theological School and was immediately admitted to the theological seminary. Here he showed himself to be a very efficient student, becoming one of the best in his class. He even gave private lessons, gaining a reputation as a good tutor. During his studies, Pavlov first became acquainted with the scientific work of M. Sechenov “Reflexes of the Brain”. In many ways, it was this new interest in the rapidly developing science of that time that forced him to abandon the continuation of his spiritual career.
Studying at the University.
In 1870, Ivan Petrovich moved to St. Petersburg. His only goal was to enter the natural sciences department of the university's Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. But due to the poor training he was given at the seminary, the future researcher had to enter the law faculty. However, just 17 days after enrollment, the young student, by decision of the rector himself, was transferred to the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics.From the very beginning of his studies, Ivan Petrovich attracted the attention of the teaching staff with his lively and inquisitive mind. In his second year he was awarded a regular scholarship, and in his third - an imperial one. At that time, such outstanding scientists as Mendeleev and Butler taught at the faculty where Pavlov studied. One of the young student’s first scientific works was a study on the physiology of the nerves of the pancreas, conducted jointly with Afanasyev. For this research he received a gold medal from the university council.
Beginning of scientific activity.
In 1875, Pavlov graduated from the university and received a candidate of natural sciences degree. Pavlov was already 26 years old. I.F. Zion offered him a job as his assistant at the Medical-Surgical Academy. After some time, he became an assistant to K.N. Ustimovich, who at that time headed the department of physiology at the veterinary department of the same Medical-Surgical Academy. At the same time, Ivan Petrovich continued his studies at the medical department. During this time, he published several valuable works on the physiology of blood circulation. In 1877, having saved a small amount of money, Pavlov visited Breslavl, where he became acquainted with the works of the famous physiologist R. Heidenhain.The research work of the young physiologist attracted the attention of wide scientific circles, which is why in 1878 he was invited by S.P. Botkin to his clinic. Without being distracted from his scientific research, Pavlov received the much-coveted medical diploma in 1879.
Work in the field of neural activity research.
Soon after this, Pyotr Ivanovich began working in a small laboratory on a topic that at that time was called “nervism.” In 1883, as part of his research, he published a monograph on the centrifugal nerves of the heart, which later became the topic of his doctoral dissertation. The brilliant defense of this work was also awarded a gold medal.
In 1884, he went to Germany, where he worked together with R. Heidenhain and K. Ludwig. As the scientist himself later noted in his autobiography, his work together with these outstanding physiologists gave him a lot in terms of life experience and worldview.
Upon returning to his homeland, Pavlov began to actively lecture at the Military Medical Academy on physiology, and also began to frequently publish in Russian and foreign journals. During his 12 years of work in the laboratory of the Botkin Clinic, he became a prominent physiologist, both in Russia and abroad.
Professorship and Nobel Prize.
In 1890, despite the many obstacles that some representatives of the medical community and the bureaucracy put in his way, Ivan Petrovich took the position of professor of pharmacology at the Military Medical Academy. It was here that he conducted his most important scientific research. His work in the field of studying the physiology of the digestive glands brought him world fame. His work in the field of studying conditioned reflexes very quickly became a real breakthrough in medicine. In 1904, the Nobel Prize in Medicine was founded, and Pavlov became its first laureate.In 1901 he became a corresponding member, and in 1907 a full member of the Academy of Sciences. Scientific recognition abroad resulted in him becoming an honorary member of several foreign academies of sciences.
Revolution and life in a new country.
Ivan Petrovich met the February revolution with caution, considering it untimely in the context of the ongoing war. He also met the October Revolution. Relations with the Bolsheviks were very strained. However, Pavlov had no intention of leaving his homeland, and the government tried to do everything possible to keep the scientist from emigrating. The scientist objected to many government reforms, including the idea that the abolition of doctoral dissertations was erroneous, and also considered the creation of institute departments in which no research was carried out inappropriate.In addition, after the events of 1928-1929 related to the elections to the Academy of Sciences, when the state began to directly indicate who should join it, Pavlov stopped attending meetings of the Academy and never appeared in it again.
Until the end of his days, he entered into active opposition to the state on all issues that related to science. He did not hesitate to express his dissatisfaction, and openly pointed out the mistakes and mistakes made.
In 1936, when the scientist was already 87 years old, Ivan Petrovich caught a cold and contracted pneumonia. The body, already weakened by several previous pneumonias, could not stand it and all the doctors’ efforts to save Pavlov were in vain.
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov became known to us primarily as a physiologist, a famous scientist who created the science of higher nervous activity, which has enormous practical value for many sciences. This includes medicine, psychology, physiology, and pedagogy, and not just Pavlov’s dog, which reacts to a light bulb with an increased flow of saliva. For his services, the scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize and some educational institutions and scientific institutes were named after him. Pavlov's books are still published in fairly large editions. For those who are not yet familiar with the scientist’s achievements and who do not know who Ivan Petrovich Pavlov is, a short biography will help correct this omission.
The future luminary was born in Ryazan, in the family of a clergyman, in 1849. Since Pavlov’s ancestors were “church members,” the boy was forced to go to a theological school and seminary. He later spoke warmly about this experience. But after accidentally reading Sechenov’s book on brain reflexes, Ivan Pavlov left his studies at the seminary and became a student at the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics in St. Petersburg.
Having completed the course with honors, he received the academic degree of Candidate of Natural Sciences, and decided to continue his studies at the Medical-Surgical Academy, upon completion of which he received a doctor's diploma.
Since 1879, Ivan Petrovich became the head of the laboratory at the Botkin clinic. It was there that he began his research into digestion, which lasted more than twenty years. Soon the young scientist defended his dissertation and was appointed private assistant professor at the Academy. But the offer from Heidenhain and Karl Ludwig, fairly well-known physiologists, to work in Leipzig seemed more interesting to him. Returning to Russia two years later, Pavlov continued his scientific activities.
By 1890, his name had become famous in scientific circles. Simultaneously with the leadership of physiological research at the Military Medical Academy, he also headed the department of physiology at the Institute of Experimental Medicine. The scientist's scientific work began with the study of the heart and circulatory system, but later the scientist devoted himself entirely to the study of the digestive system. Through many experiments, the white spots in the structure of the digestive tract began to disappear.
The scientist's main experimental subjects were dogs. Pavlov wanted to understand the mechanism of the pancreas and make the necessary analyzes of its juice. To do this, through trial and error, he brought out part of the dog's pancreas and created a so-called fistula. Through the hole, pancreatic juice came out and was suitable for research.
The next stage was the study of gastric juice. The scientist was able to make a gastric fistula, which no one could do before. Now it was possible to study the secretion of gastric juice, its quantity and quality indicators, depending on the characteristics of the food.
Pavlov gave a report in Madrid and there outlined the main milestones of his teaching. A year later, having written a scientific work about his research, the scientist was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1904.
The next thing that attracted the scientist’s attention was the reaction of the body, including the digestive system, to external stimuli. This was the first step towards the study of conditioned and unconditioned connections - reflexes. This was a new word in physiology.
Many living organisms have a reflex system. Since a person has more historical experience, his reflexes are richer and more complex than those of the same dogs. Thanks to Pavlov's research, it became possible to trace the process of their formation and understand the basic principles of the cerebral cortex.
There is an opinion that in the post-revolutionary period, during the years of “devastation,” Pavlov found himself below the poverty line. But nevertheless, remaining a patriot of his country, he refused a very lucrative offer to move to Sweden for further scientific work with one hundred percent funding.
Some researchers believe that the scientist simply did not have the opportunity to travel abroad, and he submitted petitions for permission to emigrate. After some time, in 1920, the scientist finally received the long-promised institute from the state, where he continued his research.
His research was closely monitored by the top of the Soviet government, and thanks to this patronage, the scientist was able to fulfill his long-time dreams. Clinics equipped with new equipment were opened at his institutes, the staff was constantly expanding, and the funding was excellent. From that time on, regular publication of Pavlov's works also began.
But the scientist’s health in recent years has left much to be desired. Having suffered from pneumonia several times, he looked unwell, was very tired and generally did not feel very well. And in 1936, after a cold that turned into another pneumonia, Pavlov died.
It may well be that today’s medicines would have coped with the disease, but then medicine was still at a low level of development. The death of the scientist was a major loss for the entire scientific world.
Pavlov's contribution to science cannot be overestimated. He brought physiology and psychology into one plane; his research into higher nervous activity gave impetus to the development of various sciences. The name of Ivan Petrovich Pavlov is now familiar to every educated person. I consider it possible to complete the presentation of the life and work of the scientist here, because a short biography of Pavlov I.P. sufficiently illuminated.
Greetings to all readers who are interested in psychology! Today we will talk about an outstanding scientist, a physician, who devoted his life to the study of reflexes and made a huge contribution to the knowledge of the human nervous system, although he worked with dogs. It is not for nothing that Ivan Petrovich Pavlov is considered a representative of the largest modern school of physiology.
Life and scientific activities
Ivan Pavlov is a native of the city of Ryazan. Until the age of 21, he studied theology and planned to continue his father’s career (a parish priest), but he abruptly changed his direction and went to study at St. Petersburg University, where he began to study physiology and chemistry. If it were not for this turn in the fate of the remarkable scientist, we would not have been able to get acquainted with his theory of unconditioned and conditioned reflexes, and temperaments would continue to be distinguished by the fluid prevailing in the body, as Hippocrates bequeathed.
The interests of the young scientist were formed under the influence of outstanding specialists: Karl Ludwig and Rudolf Heidenhain. He was seriously interested in blood pressure problems, and when he was 41 years old he became a real professor at the Imperial Medical Academy. These walls gave him the opportunity to study the connection between digestion and salivation, as well as conduct experiments on dogs. By the way, Pavlov was a wonderful surgeon, which helped him in setting up his experiments.
It was in the course of research where dogs were experimental subjects that Ivan Petrovich came to the theory of the conditioned reflex, and by 1930 he was able to transfer his knowledge to people suffering from psychosis. It is important to understand what he meant by conditioned reflex. This is the body’s reaction that occurs to a stimulus as a result of their repeated coincidence. Why did this discovery become so significant, and the very concept of “conditioned reflex” - the crown of Pavlov’s scientific activity? Yes, because the learning process has become manageable and scientifically substantiated. And subsequently his ideas became the basis for the development of behavioral psychology (or behaviorism).
The scientist lived in difficult times; his relations with the Soviet government were very uneven. After visiting America (1923), he intensified his criticism of the communist regime and began to openly speak out against violence and arbitrariness of power. When in 1924 all students who had priestly fathers were expelled from his academy, he himself demonstratively left his post as a professor. Pavlov died in Leningrad in 1936.
Conditioned reflex theory
Pavlov's main work was the formation of conditioned reflexes using associations. In fact, everything is brilliantly simple. You can see this for yourself. When an unexpected sharp sound is heard, a person involuntarily flinches. This is his unconditioned reflex (automatic, innate) to an unconditioned stimulus. If we repeatedly encounter a situation where such a sharp sound occurs after a strong blow on the table with a fist, then it is quite logical that we will associate the sound (unconditioned stimulus) with the movement of the fist (already a conditioned stimulus), and begin to flinch even before the fist comes down on the table. This new reaction of the body will be called a conditioned reflex.
Experience with dogs
Initially, the scientist studied the digestive function of dogs. But while observing how the salivary glands of animals work, I discovered an interesting fact. Dogs salivate when they see an edible product. And this is an unconditioned reflex. But the salivation of Pavlov’s dogs began already when an assistant in a white coat entered, carrying food for the experiments. The researcher rightly noted that the cause of the reflex was not the smell of food, but the appearance of a white coat (conditioned stimulus). He also successfully proved this through experiments.
Role for science
Of course, Pavlov became famous for his experiments with dogs, which were appreciated and recognized during his lifetime. It is remarkable that he was awarded the honorary title of “elder of physiologists of the world,” and this is a great honor for a scientist. Experts also appreciate his enormous contribution to understanding the functioning of the human nervous system (after all, the concepts of “strong nervous system” and “weak nervous system” are also his achievement). It was the researcher’s discoveries that made it possible to find new ways to treat anxiety disorders (phobias, panic attacks).
We got acquainted with a brief biography of the scientist and the basic concepts of his theory. It is interesting that the knowledge that Pavlov gave us does not become outdated over the years. This makes them even more valuable and significant. I hope that the information that I tried to convey to you was clear enough even to non-specialists in the field of psychology. I will be glad to repost and comments.
Until we meet again, with respect, Alexander Fadeev.
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None of the Russian scientists of the 19th-20th centuries, not even D.I. Mendeleev, did not receive such fame abroad as academician Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936). “This is the star that illuminates the world, shedding light on paths not yet explored,” Herbert Wells said about him. He was called a “romantic, almost legendary figure”, “citizen of the world.” He was a member of 130 academies, universities and international societies. He is considered the recognized leader of world physiological science, a favorite teacher of doctors, and a true hero of creative work.
Ivan Petrovich Pavlov was born in Ryazan on September 26, 1849 into the family of a priest. At the request of his parents, Pavlov graduated from theological school, and in 1864 he entered the Ryazan Theological Seminary.
However, a different fate was destined for him. In his father's extensive library, he once found a book by G.G. Levy “Physiology of Everyday Life” with colorful illustrations that captured his imagination. Another strong impression on Ivan Petrovich in his youth was made by the book, which he later remembered with gratitude all his life. This was the study of the father of Russian physiology, Ivan Mikhailovich Sechenov, “Reflexes of the Brain.” Perhaps it is not an exaggeration to say that the theme of this book formed the leitmotif of Pavlov’s entire creative activity.
In 1869, he left the seminary and first entered the Faculty of Law, and then transferred to the natural sciences department of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of St. Petersburg University. Here, under the influence of the famous Russian physiologist Professor I.F. Zion, he forever connected his life with physiology. After graduating from university I.P. Pavlov decided to expand his knowledge of physiology, in particular human physiology and pathology. For this purpose, in 1874 he entered the Medical-Surgical Academy. Having completed it brilliantly, Pavlov received a two-year business trip abroad. Upon his arrival from abroad, he devoted himself entirely to science.
All works on physiology carried out by I.P. Pavlov for almost 65 years, mainly grouped around three sections of physiology: circulatory physiology, digestive physiology and brain physiology. Pavlov introduced a chronic experiment into practice, which made it possible to study the activity of a practically healthy organism. Using the developed method of conditioned reflexes, he established that the basis of mental activity is the physiological processes occurring in the cerebral cortex. Pavlov's research into the physiology of higher nervous activity had a great influence on the development of physiology, psychology and pedagogy.
Works by I.P. Pavlov’s blood circulation problems are associated mainly with his activities in the laboratory at the clinic of the famous Russian doctor Sergei Petrovich Botkin from 1874 to 1885. The passion for research completely absorbed him during this period. He abandoned his house, forgot about his material needs, his suit and even his young wife. His comrades more than once took part in the fate of Ivan Petrovich, wanting to help him in some way. One day they collected some money for I.P. Pavlova, wanting to support him financially. I.P. Pavlov accepted friendly help, but with this money he bought a whole pack of dogs to carry out the experiment that interested him.
The first serious discovery that made him famous was the discovery of the so-called amplifying nerve of the heart. This discovery served as the initial impetus for the creation of the scientific doctrine of nervous trophism. The entire series of works on this topic was formalized in the form of a doctoral dissertation entitled “Centrifugal Nerves of the Heart,” which he defended in 1883.
Already during this period, one fundamental feature of I.P.’s scientific creativity was revealed. Pavlova - to study a living organism in its holistic, natural behavior. Work by I.P. Pavlova in the Botkin laboratory brought him great creative satisfaction, but the laboratory itself was not convenient enough. That's why I.P. In 1890, Pavlov happily accepted the offer to take over the department of physiology at the newly organized Institute of Experimental Medicine. In 1901 he was elected a corresponding member, and in 1907 a full member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In 1904, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov received the Nobel Prize for his work on digestion.
Pavlov's teaching on conditioned reflexes was the logical conclusion of all those physiological experiments that he performed on blood circulation and digestion.
I.P. Pavlov looked into the deepest and most mysterious processes of the human brain. He explained the mechanism of sleep, which turned out to be a type of special nervous process of inhibition that spreads throughout the cerebral cortex.
In 1925 I.P. Pavlov headed the Institute of Physiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences and opened two clinics at his laboratory: nervous and psychiatric, where he successfully applied the experimental results he obtained in the laboratory to treat nervous and mental illnesses. A particularly important achievement in recent years of work by I.P. Pavlov was the study of the hereditary properties of certain types of nervous activity. To resolve this issue, I.P. Pavlov significantly expanded his biological station in Koltushi near Leningrad - a real city of science - for which the Soviet government allocated more than 12 million rubles.
Teaching of I.P. Pavlova became the foundation for the development of world science. Special Pavlovian laboratories were created in America, England, France and other countries. On February 27, 1936, Ivan Petrovich Pavlov passed away. After a short illness, he died at the age of 87. The funeral service according to the Orthodox rite, according to his will, was performed in the church in Koltushi, after which a farewell ceremony took place in the Tauride Palace. An honor guard of scientists from universities, technical colleges, scientific institutes, and members of the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences was installed at the coffin.
