Vermel, Samuil

Born Feb. 18 (Mar. 1), 1868, in Moscow; died there Aug. 14, 1926. Soviet physician, organizer of Soviet physiotherapy services.

Vermel’ graduated from the medical department of Moscow University in 1893. From 1921 he was professor and head of the subdepartment of general and physical therapy of the first Moscow State University and simultaneously director of a state institute of physiotherapy and orthopedics organized in Moscow on his initiative. He elaborated the method of calcium ion galvanization for treatment of cardiac diseases (the method of Vermel’), composed a theory about the mechanism of the action of carbonic acid baths, and proposed a method for total galvanization; he worked on problems related to the mechanism of the action of X rays, light rays, and galvanic current. From 1925 he was vice-chairman of the All-Russian Association of Physiotherapists.