Not everyone knows the name of Lunin Nikolai Ivanovich. But it was this scientist who at one time found out the beneficial properties of vitamins. Prior to this historic discovery, the nutritional value of consumed foods was determined only according to the presence of such components as carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Who is Nikolai Ivanovich Lunin? Biography, life path, contribution of a scientist to science - all this will be considered in our article.
early years
Lunin Nikolai Ivanovich was born on May 9, 1854 in the city of Derpt (Tartu), which was in the Livonia province of the Russian Empire. A boy was born in the family of lexicographer Ivan Lunin. The father of our hero was famous as the author of the first Estonian-Russian dictionary in history. The head of the family was also fond of translating Orthodox literature into Estonian. Nikolai’s mother, Anna Bakaldina, did not have creative talents.
Studied a young man in a regular gymnasium in his hometown. After graduation, he entered the University of Derpt. Here was distributed to the medical faculty. It is noteworthy that at that time at the University of Derpt all subjects were taught in German.
Our hero graduated from a prestigious university in 1878. However, N.I. Lunin decided not to leave Derpt, or, as he was called, the University of Tartu. In order to further improve, he remained to work at the Department of Physiology. At first, the young man underwent an internship in major European cities throughout the year. In particular, the former student was engaged in raising his own qualifications in the best educational institutions of Berlin, Strasbourg, Paris and Vienna. Returning to the University of Tartu, Lunin began to set his first scientific experiments.
Medical practice
In 1882, the scientist moved to St. Petersburg. The next few years, Nikolai Ivanovich worked in the hospital of the Prince of Oldenburg, where he served as a pediatrician. Then the outstanding professor Vladimir Nikolaevich Reitz organized a research center for the study of diseases of the younger generation at the Institute of Princess Elena Pavlovna. Soon, Nikolai Lunin was invited here, who became one of the most talented researchers and teachers on the course.
Social work
In 1897, our hero became the head of the orphanage that operated at the Elizabethan Hospital. From that moment on, the most important part of a scientist’s life began to be occupied by active social activities. He had membership in the Society of German Doctors, was in the department for the establishment of institutes, and chaired the Russian Geographical Community. Since 1925, Nikolai Ivanovich has been consulting the population on pediatrics in the field of ear, throat and nasal diseases.
Passion for life
Ivan Nikolaevich Lunin, in addition to fruitful work in the field of scientific research, was famous as a successful dog breeder. Over 3 decades of his life, an outstanding researcher devoted to breeding, selection and improvement of pointer breed dogs.
N.I. Lunin was a passionate hunter. Once he came up with the idea of breeding an ideal Russian gundog. The scientist decided to create a new breed, using his experience in crossing animals. The result of many years of trial and error were first-class pointers, which caused genuine delight for everyone who had to see them.
Dogs, which were the result of selection, combined the qualities necessary for hunting in the field, with a beautiful appearance and a powerful physique. Securing this breed to itself allowed Nikolai Ivanovich Lunin to stand on a par with the most outstanding dog breeders in the world. To this day, the pointers retain the glory of the brilliant achievement of Russian cynology. Until his death, the famous scientist remained the unchanged chairman of all kinds of meetings and commissions in the field of breeding thoroughbred dogs, and also repeatedly played the role of a judge during field trials and exhibitions. Active cynological and social activities allowed Nikolai Ivanovich Lunin to become the person whom Russian dog breeders have been following for decades.
Prerequisites for the discovery of vitamins
At the end of the XIX century, mankind did not have any information about the existence of vitamins. Scientists believed that for the healthy functioning of the body, it is sufficient to have only fats, proteins and carbohydrates in food. As it turned out later, thanks to the research of Nikolai Ivanovich Lunin, things were different.
In ancient times, people often suffered from pathological manifestations such as scurvy, rickets, night blindness. Diseases were the result of the development of vitamin deficiencies. Often, such ailments affected sailors, expedition members, travelers, military, prisoners, as well as the population of besieged cities. All these people lacked vitamins due to a deficiency in the diet of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Scientists and doctors have long tried to prove that the above diseases are caused by infections, as well as the penetration of food poisons and toxins into the body. This continued until the time when an outstanding Russian scientist made his discovery.
Lunin Nikolay Ivanovich: vitamins
In 1880, a Russian researcher presented to the scientific community the results of his experiments, noted in a dissertation entitled “On the Importance of Inorganic Salts for Animal Nutrition”. It was in this work that the existence of vitamins and their role in the life of organisms was first noted.
A prerequisite for the discovery was the conduct of a number of laboratory studies. Nikolai Lunin decided to take experimental mice, dividing them into several groups. The scientist fed some rodents with an organic compound, the basic components of which were mineral salts, water, fats, proteins and carbohydrates. To another group, the researcher offered natural cow's milk.
Mice of the first category died within a few weeks. The remaining experimental subjects who consumed the natural product maintained normal health. Based on the results, Nikolai Ivanovich concluded that milk contains previously unknown trace elements that the body cannot do without. The final step was made by the Polish researcher Casimir Funk, who took advantage of Lunin's achievements and synthesized vitamins from organic substances in a chemical way.
Further research
In the 20s of the twentieth century, researchers determined that when water vitamin B, known at the time, was dissolved in water, its derivatives are formed, such as B 1 , B 2 , B3. The discovery made it possible to identify a number of other substances indispensable for the body, in particular, vitamins B 12 (cyanocobalamin), B 9 (folic acid), B 5 (pyridoxine) and others. In total, scientists have registered several dozen previously unexplored compounds. Soon, methods were developed to obtain vitamins artificially.
Finally
In 1934, Nikolai Ivanovich officially retired. An outstanding researcher lived for another 3 years and left our world in 1937. His body was buried next to his teacher Karl Rauchfus at the Volkovsky cemetery in St. Petersburg. Later, the street and lane in his hometown of Tartu was named after Nikolai Lunin. Vitamini Street also appeared here, which got its name in honor of the discovery of vitamins by scientists.