L.L. Fofanof: 140th anniversary of his birth. Contribution to science

The article is dedicated to Professor L.L. Fofanof’s scientific activity. He headed the faculty therapeutic clinic of Kazan Imperial University in 1915-1920. Being a student L.L. Fofanov was interested in pathological anatomy and physiology. His dissertation «To physiology of n. depressoris» was dedicated to studying the vasomotor center. During his visit in Germany he worked a lot. In Charite together with Professor His he studied gout and its treatment with Radium emanation. In Halle clinic under Professor Schmidt’s supervision he studied assimilation of starch in normal and pathological digestion. L.L. Fofanov also made a contribution to tuberculosis treatment: with professor V.F. Orlovskiy he studied treatment of tuberculosis with simulated pneumothorax. In his research professor L.L. Fofanov paid great attention to the issues of pathogenesis and pathogenetic substantiation of the clinical manifestation and treatment. During the World War I and Civil War he fought against typhus epidemies: he saw patients, gave lectures, studied the features of myocardial involvement. He died in 1920 from typhus.

EXPERIMENTS ON THE AIR PERMEABILITY OF FOREST SOILS BY RADIUM-EMANATION METHOD

A radium-emanation method was developed for measuring the gas diffusion coefficient D in soils of differing structure and colloidal properties. The method was quick and simple, and could be carried out under natural, undisturbed soil conditions. Diffusion coefficients varied from 200 cm2/hour in coarse-textured soil to less than 5 cm2/hour in moderately fine-textured alkaline soil. The permeability was reduced by an increase in soil moisture, clay, and alkali content in the profile. When these factors varied with depth, the diffusion coefficient was not constant and the theoretical conditions of the method were not satisfied. Useful estimates were possible, however, when the apparent D values obtained at different depths were compared with other soil properties.