What did Iliya Mechnikov explored in his PhD Thesis?

Abstract

Scientific activity of Ilia I. Mechnikov (1845–1916), Nobel Prize winner was discussed in a large number of publications whereas some of his scientific life remains obscure. In particular, what did the researcher write in his doctoral dissertation “The study of Fabricia of the Northern Sea” submitted to the Imperial Kharkov University? This work evidences that in 1864 the University Council, under the active participation of Prof. A. F. Maslovsky, approved and validated I. I. Mechnikov’s PhD Thesis and awarded him PhD Degree in nat- ural sciences. The manuscript is considered lost, its content hence unknown; the pertinent publications in Russian do not hold a guess about the taxon of marine organisms the prominent researcher explored. Having surveyed all available literature, the following hypothesis are proposed: 1) after studying annelid Fabricia sabella at Helgoland island in summer 1864, I. I. Mechnikov included results of the investigation in the dissertation which he sent to Kharkov not later than in September; 2) the manuscript was hand-written, the number of its copies – very limited; 3) when the applicant was temporary absent, he and Prof. A. F. Maslovsky were in correspondence about the forthcoming defense and the related procedure; and 4) in the beginning of 1865, the PhD Thesis of I. I. Mechnikov together with other related documentation were sent to the Department of Public Education. In conclusion, the pertinent information retrieval was explaned.

Keywords: I. I. Mechnikov, PhD Thesis, Kharkov University, A. F. Maslovsky, Helgoland, annelids Fabricia