ACADEMIC JOURNAL
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ISSN 2542-1077 (Print) ISSN 1994-5973 (Online) |
Russian history |
Morokhin A. V. | Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Institute of Russian History of the Russian Academy of Science |
Keywords: Robert Erskine Marcial Waters Wilhelm Henning Peter the Great A. V. Makarov balneotherapy |
Summary: The article reconstructs the events surrounding related Peter the Great’s chief physician, Robert Erskine,
during his stay at the Marcial Waters Resort. Erskine was a prominent advocate of balneotherapy for disease treatment
and played an active role in establishing Russia’s first resort, Marcial Waters. The significance and novelty of this
research lie in the introduction of new documentary sources that shed light on popular medical practices of the period.
The study notes that Erskine arrived at the resort in a critically ill state, effectively on the brink of death. However, due
to the scarcity of available sources, the precise nature of his illness remains unknown, precluding any definitive
assessment of the efficacy or ineffectiveness of the treatments administered. In conclusion, the paper suggests that Erskine’s death near Olonets did not alter the views of Peter the Great’s, who acknowledged the possibility of Erskine’s poisoning – the Emperor continued to endorse balneotherapy as a treatment for all ailments. |
Displays: 46; |