Professor S.A. Reinberg

LIFE AND SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE OF S. A. REINBERG (1897 – 1966)
(ON THE 120th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTHDAY OF PROFESSOR)

T. Sh. MORGOSHIIA, N.A. SYROEZHIN

Department of Faculty Surgery named after Professor AA. Rusanova.,

Federal State Budget Educational Institution of Higher Education " St. Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University" of the Ministry of Health of Russia; 194100 St. Petersburg; Lithuanian street, house 2, Russian Federation.

April 10, 2017 marked the 120th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding Soviet radiologist-innovator and scientist, winner of the Lenin prize, honored scientist of the RSFSR Professor Samuel A. Reinberg. He belongs to those people whose great creative potential is worthy of careful study and understanding. His love for medical science is a distinctive feature of his work as a scientist and thinker. The work of the great radiologist, scientist and thinker, who owns the gift of artistic revelation, has left a significant mark in the world of fundamental medicine.

Samuel A. Reinberg was born in 1897 in Riga in the family of a craftsman. He studied at the Riga Alexander gymnasium and then at the gymnasium. Peter the Great in Petrograd, which he graduated with a gold medal in 1916.            

In 1921, being a graduate of the Leningrad medical Institute, he entered the state radiographic Institute, where he worked for about 10 years as a Junior, and then a senior researcher. Even as a student, he worked as a pharmacist, later as a prosector at the Department of normal anatomy, which allowed him to study human anatomy and subsequently facilitated the development of radiology. Samuel Reinberg was one of the first (in 1923) to study the vascular system of the kidneys on drugs [1].

Since 1927 Samuel A. Reinberg has been teaching radiology as an associate Professor at the Leningrad medical Institute in parallel with his work at the state radiology Institute. In 1929, the academic publishing house in Leningrad published his book "x-Ray diagnostics of bone and joint diseases" [2], which was published in three more editions. This guide has become a reference book for many radiologists, traumatologists, surgeons and oncologists.  In 1930 Samuel Reinberg is elected head of the Department of radiology of the Institute of advanced medical training in Leningrad, which he headed for 13 years; at the same time from 1931 to 1938, he heads the first in the country Department of radiology of childhood. In 1930 – 1931 S. A. Reinberg advocated "x-ray check-up" healthy and sick people. In 1932 for the first time round-the-clock duty of radiologists on rendering emergency aid was organized [3].

In 1935, Samuel  Reinberg was in scientific business trip in Germany. Also studied the production of x-ray case in England, France, Switzerland, Austria.  He is the organizer (1927) of the world's first Department of pediatric radiology at the Leningrad pediatric medical Institute, where he headed until 1939. [1]. 

Since 1945, Samuel  Reinberg has been a member of the Soviet nuclear project as a specialist. Let us note that Samuel  Reinberg and a group of scientists (A. I. Alikhanov (Chairman), L. D. Landau, Y. B. Khariton, A. B. Migdal, M. A. Sadovsky, S. S. Vasilev and A. P. Samsikov) was asked to evaluate all available material on the effects of atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and to determine the effectiveness factor of the blast wave, the thermal factor and the factor of radiation.     It is interesting to emphasize That Samuel  Reinberg (together with S. G. Simons) was engaged in the study of Museum objects in Leningrad with the help of x-rays, worked on the application of the x-ray method in paleontology (together with. Hartmann-Weinberg).

In autumn 1941, Samuel  Reinberg voluntarily joined the red army and was appointed chief radiologist of the Leningrad front. It is necessary to make a remark that in difficult conditions of war and blockade of Leningrad he carried out training of roentgenologists for field army on the chair [4].

In may 1943, Samuel Reinberg was demobilized and appointed Director of the state radiographic Institute in Moscow and head of the Department of radiology of the Central Institute of advanced medical training. For 7 years he was led by these two institutions, and from 1950 to completely transfer to the academic work of the Department of radiology of the Central Institute of advanced medical training.

The scientific heritage of S. Reinberg is extensive, multifaceted, retains its importance for a long time and is relevant at the present time. Samuel Reinberg and his students introduced a lot of new to the doctrine of bronchial patency disorders, which helped to improve the diagnosis of tumors and foreign bodies of bronchi in adults and children. They studied the motility of the bronchial system, found and analyzed the reduction of the circular muscles of the bronchi. Original experimental studies have allowed to clarify the mechanism of cough and bronchial drainage, to identify the sequence of reduction and disclosure of alveoli, alveolar sacks, sinuses, bronchioles. For the first time in the USSR Samuel Reinberg used bronchography.

Along with studies in the field of pulmonology, Reinberg studied and described the symptoms of a number of heart and vascular diseases, performed the first experimental angiography. A number of his works have expanded the understanding of pathological processes in the stomach and intestines, uterus and appendages, urinary and biliary tract [5].

Fair to say that Samuel Reinberg is considered to be the founder of the national pediatric radiology. Studies conducted by him and his students, largely contributed to the allocation of this important section of radiology in an independent discipline.

Throughout his creative life, Samuel Reinberg studied diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Especially valuable are his studies of metabolic and endocrine bone diseases, the so-called "zones of perestroika", aseptic necrosis, tuberculosis, fibrous osteodystrophy, traumatic injuries and their complications [6].

Samuel Reinberg has published more than 400 scientific works.  Among the most important of his books should be mentioned "Essays on military radiology" [4], published in 1942 in the siege of Leningrad, "Guide to General radiology" and, finally, the main work of his life – the capital guide "x-Ray diagnostics of diseases of bones and joints", 3rd edition, which was published in 2 volumes, was awarded the Lenin prize. As already noted, "x-Ray diagnostics of bone and joint diseases" [2] is still a reference book for many radiologists.  A number of serious works of S. Reinberg is devoted to the history and organization of the x-ray service, the problem of safety of x-ray studies, special diagnostic techniques. It is impossible not to mention his numerous articles and brochures addressed to a wide range of the population, in which he talented popularized radiology and its capabilities.

Note that the great merit of Samuel A. Reinberg is that he laid the foundations of postgraduate training of radiologists in our country. Thousands of doctors were lucky enough to undergo specialization and improvement under the guidance of Samuel A. Reinberg. He was remembered by all as a wonderful teacher, whose lectures were a true school of clinical radiology. In addition to training practitioners, the activities of Samuel A. Reinberg was aimed at the training of scientific personnel. "The sacred duty of the old scientific staff of scientists is, - he wrote, - to declassify the "secrets" of scientific creativity, to convey to young scientists their experience in this matter." And he generously shared his extensive knowledge with young doctors [7]. Naturally, under the leadership of Samuel A. Reinberg and during his consultation more than 100 dissertations were prepared, including more than 40 doctoral ones.

The social activity of S. A. Reinberg was also multi-faceted and fruitful. He is elected a member of the Presidium of the Scientific Council of the Ministry of health of the USSR and RSFSR, the Board of the all-Union and all-Russian scientific societies of radiologists and radiologists. For 10 years he headed the Moscow scientific society of roentgenologists and radiologists. For a long time he was a member of the editorial Board of the journal "Clinical medicine", led the x-ray Department in the Great medical encyclopedia (second edition).

Samuel A. Reinberg represented Russian science at the international congresses of radiologists and radiologists in London (1925), Stockholm (1928), Zurich and St. Moritz (1934), where he made interesting presentations. He was a member of all-Union congresses of roentgenologists and radiologists held during his lifetime [1].

Samuel A. Reinberg distinguished and outstanding personal qualities. A man of high General culture, broad Outlook, he loved and understood music, painting, ballet, literature. Describing the personal qualities of Reinberg, it should be noted that he was a kind and gentle man, adamant when it came to fundamental issues. Always smart, punctual, organized, he served as an example for all who communicated with him, especially for young colleagues.

In due time, S. Reinberg managed to involve many teachers and doctors in historical research. Under his editorship in 1948 published a collection of articles " Materials on the history of radiology in the USSR."     S. A. Reinberg wrote: "the Facts and events of the first years and even decades of our science are increasingly moving away, and the living creators and witnesses of the past days are leaving the medical and scientific scene» [3].

Recall, radiologists performed in the years of the second world war a huge job. About 500 radiologists were in the armed forces during the war. The main radiologist of the Soviet army was Professor M. I. Nemenov. The chief radiologist of the Navy – Professor G. A. Zedgenidze. The main radiologists fronts and distribution of evacuation centres were A. Kosachevsky, S. D. Lindenbraten, S. A., Reinberg, D. G. Rokhlin, L. S. Rosenstrauch, A. E. Rubacheva, Yu. N. Sokolov, A. I. Ruderman, I. L. Tager.    The timely monograph was S. A. Rainberg's" essays of military radiology " (1942), written in the besieged Leningrad.  The author believed that differentiated application of different types of x-ray diagnostics of foreign bodies of firearms origin was correct. Domestic scientists have created, in fact, a new Chapter of osteopathology – x-ray diagnostics of professional lesions of the bone and joint system. V. S. Maikova-Stroganova, D. G. Rokhlin, A. I. Kurachenkov etc. have studied the changes of the skeleton during physical strain. V. A. Dyachenko, S. A., Reinberg, A. B. Reichman is at an elevated atmospheric pressure.

It is impossible to overestimate the contribution of domestic scientists in the x-ray anatomy of the bone and joint system. While developing x-ray osteology, V. A. Dyachenko, G. A. Zedgenidze, I. G. Lagunova, V. S. Maikov-Stroganov, D. G. Rokhlin, M. G. Prives always put the interests of clinical medicine at the forefront. A significant role in strengthening the connection of rentgenoterapii and rentgenoterapii played Professor S. A. Reinberg [7].

He was awarded the order of the red banner of Labor, red Star, "badge of Honor" and a number of medals of the USSR, Lenin prize (1966), honored scientist of the RSFSR (1941).

The scientist died in Moscow on March 28, 1966 at the age of 69.

Summarizing, we note that the ideas expressed by S. Reinberg about the role of radiation diagnosis in clinical medicine have not lost their importance at the present time. As the past decades have shown, the main theoretical positions and discoveries of Reinberg still form the Foundation of our knowledge in radiology. In addition, we are interested in the methodological principles of scientific knowledge, which the Professor used, and which characterize him as a great researcher and scientist-thinker. The personality of Samuel Reinberg will forever remain an ornament of radiology and fundamental medicine in General, it is among other outstanding names that, like precious stones, adorn the "crown of glory" of world medical science. Nowadays, scientists from different countries love to honor the memory of a talented doctor-S. A. Reinberg.

References:

1. Lemberg A. A. In memory of Professor Samuel Aronovich Reinberg (To the 75th anniversary of his birth). Herald of radiology and radiology. 1972. No. 4. P. 93 - 96.

2. Reinberg S.A. Radiodiagnosis of diseases of bones and joints. 4th edition. Book 1 - 2, M., 1964.

3. Lindenbraten LD "Essays on the history of Russian radiology." M .: Vidar, 1995.

4. Reinberg S.A. Essays on military radiology. L., 1942.

5. Reinberg S.A. X-ray recognition of gastric cancer. M., 1952.

6. Reinberg S.A. The course of medical radiology. M. - L., 1938.

7. Reinberg S.A. On the integration of radiology. Herald of radiology and radiology. 1965. № 4. P. 3 - 7.