A. Samoilov

April 7, 1867 is the birthday of Alexander Filippovich Samoilov, the great Russian physiologist, student of I.P. Pavlov and I.M. Sechenov, peer and friend of V. Einthoven. His name is inscribed in golden letters in the world history of heart electrophysiology.

In years 1903-1930 Alexander Fillipovich headed the Department of Zoology, Comparative Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Physics and Mathematics, Kazan University. Here in 1906 for the first time in Russia, the electrocardiogram of a healthy person was recorded and in 1908 the electrocardiogram of a patient with the rheumatic heart disease was made in the therapeutic clinic of A.N. Kazem-Bek.
Electrophysiological laboratory of A.F. Samoilov is was one of the best in the world. It accumulated vast experience in electrocardiographic examination of patients and since November 1920 the first world’s course for physiology and electrocardiography for doctors was introduced by A.F. Samoilov in Kazan Institute of Advanced Medical Doctors.

In his ECG lectures to doctors of Kazan GIDUV, Samoilov spoke about the need of a new type of doctor with his extensive knowledge of physiology and physics, about new forms of medical thinking associated with the introduction of clinic electrocardiographic method.
Through the activities of Alexander Filippovich Samoilov Kazan became the center for the development of clinical electrocardiography in Russia and in the world. Kazan GIDUV became the source staff for the development of the electrocardiographic service of the Soviet Union. As a result of the widespread introduction of electrocardiography to the clinic new sections of medicine were developed: cardiology and functional diagnostics.
A.F. Samoilov is actually the ancestor of the new direction in medicine - "clinical physiology and functional diagnostics."