Abstract
The article analyzes the contents of the book-essay J.R. Farre “On Malformation of the Human Heart” (London, 1814), which was first translated by the authors into Russian and introduced into the scientific parlance. The book by J.R. Farre is the first work in the history of medicine devoted to Congenital Heart Desease (CHD), which describes about 50 observations of 18 CHD made by 28 authors, including J.R. Farre. The book gives an anatomical and physiological classification of CHD, demonstrate clinical and anatomical parallels between the external manifestations of CHD and structural disorders of the heart and large vessels, provides an explanation of the causes of the appearance of certain symptoms and signs of malformation by structurally functional disorders of intracardiac and general hemodynamics. The book is characterized by the humanistic desire of J.R. Farre to improve the diagnosis of CHD using the anatomical method; relieve incurable patients by prescribing adequate palliative care; to contribute to the transformation of speculative medicine into clinical, “professional” medicine, and clinical medicine from art to science. It was shown that J.R. Farre, a major clinical therapist of the beginning of the 19th century, stood at the origins of the clinical and anatomical direction of medicine, and his work had a significant impact on the development of clinical medicine in general and clinical cardiology in particular.
References
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About the authors
- Sergey P. Glyantsev, Dr. Med. Sc., Professor, Head of Department, ORCID
- Margarita V. Gordeeva, Cand. Med. Sc., Senior Researcher, Pathologist, ORCID
- Alena S. Vil'kanovskaya, Student, ORCID
