The Problems of Foreign Pharmacists’ Integration into Russian Medical Practice in the XVI–XVIIth Centuries

Abstract

The article considers the influence of Russian political, social, economical and religious background, as well as domestic law tradition on the process of emergence and activity of Western European medical representatives in the Russian state in the XVI-XVIIth centuries. Integration of foreign doctors and pharmacists in the domestic medical practice was possible only as one of the results of the process of centralization of the Russian state. The only appearance of professional European druggists did not mean the development of pharmaceutical business. Russian political, social and economic system did not allow the foreigners to be freely engaged in private practice. As a result, in the Russia of the XVI-XVIIth centuries the druggists found themselves in social, cultural, professional and, as a result, economic isolation. Nevertheless the appearance and development of Russian monarchy accompanied in XVI-XVIIth centuries with formation of the central and local government system (Prikazy, guby, etc.), fiscal and monetary reforms, military reforms based on the European model became the required prerequisites for the governmental interest to the questions of first of all formation of medical support system and then creating of governmental administrative management system for state medicine. As the result European professional and legal principles were integrated into Russian medical practice and legislation, foreign physicians and pharmacists were incorporated into the Russian social and economic environment during these processes.

DOI 10.14258/izvasu(2015)4.1-35