Willie Y. V., (1768-1854), baronet

Categories / Medicine. Public Health/Personalia
WILLIE Yakov (James) Vasilievich (1768-1854, St. Petersburg) was a baronet (1819), organiser of military medical service, Doctor of Medicine(1794), court medic (1799), honourable member of St. Petersburg Academy of Science (1814), full Secret Councillor (1841). He immigrated to Russia from Scotland. On graduating from the Faculty of Medicine of the Edinburgh University (1790) he entered the Russian service. In 1806-54 he was the Main Medical Inspector of the Russian Army; in 1812-36 Willie was director of the Medical Department of the Military Ministry. In 1808-38 he was president of the Medical Surgical Academy, transforming it into a leading scientific and educational institution in Russia. The main directions of his research and practice centred on military medical administration, military field surgery, military hygiene, etc. He is the author of the book entitled “Pharmacopeia of the Russian Military” (1818), and editor of the first medical scientific journal in Russia, entitled “General Journal of Medical Science” (1811-16). In 1823 Willie founded the Military-Medical Journal. He was buried in Volkovskoe Lutheran Cemetery. The building of the clinics belonging to the Medical Surgical Academy were erected with the money he left in his inheritance, Mikhailovskaya Clinical Hospital was built in memory of the Baronet Willie (1874). In front of the main facade of the Medical Surgical Academy the bronze bust of Willie was installed in 1859 (sculptors D.I. Jensen, architect A.I. Stakenschneider; in 1964, it was transferred to the garden behind the building of the former Mikhailovskaya Clinical Hospital at 5 Bolshoy Sampsonievsky Avenue).

References: Долинин В. А. Яков Васильевич Виллие. Л., 1978; Дедюлин В. И., Жерновой В. Ф. Памятники деятелям медицины в Санкт-Петербурге и его окрестностях // Вестн. истории воен. медицины. 1998. Вып. 2. С. 80-89.

V. I. Dedyulin. Willie Yakov (James) Vasilievich
Bolshoy Sampsonievsky Ave/Saint Petersburg, city, house 5
Долинин В. А. Яков Васильевич Виллие. Л., 1978
Дедюлин В. И., Жерновой В. Ф. Памятники деятелям медицины в Санкт-Петербурге и его окрестностях // Вестн. истории воен. медицины, 1998 Russian Academy of Sciences
Army Medical Academy