Epidemic diseases in Taurida governorate at the end of the XIX century and struggle against them

The article characterizes the degree of medical development in the Russian Empire in the 1860-1890s on the example of Taurida Governorate, notes the main diseases that doctors and paramedics had to deal with. It attempts to identify the reasons for the high mortality rate of the population, showing specific measures carried out by physicians to reduce the catastrophic consequences of epidemics. The publication makes the methods of struggling with various acute diseases more vivid and tell about the numerous successes achieved by the Taurian medical staff. Among the innovations widely implemented in practice at the end of the XIX century - vaccination against smallpox, measles, whooping cough and other diseases, the involvement of female medical personnel in vaccination and nursing, measures to isolate the infected in separate rooms, regular disinfection of houses and entire settlements, appointment of special trustees for supervision over the sanitary condition of streets and yards. The article’s scientific importance is emphasized by the use of rare materials from the documents of the State Archive of the Republic of Crimea.