LIFE STATIONS OF A GENIUS - DR. DIMITAR MOLLOV

Dimitar Mollov is born at the town of Elena, in the Bebrovo Balkan, on 26 December 1845. His father, Petar, was a pastor famous for his sermons in the region and the Turks called him - "molla". Petar Molla had eight children, from which, Dimitar as the eldest son was prepared to be ordained. The child received his early education in the local primary grammar school. As many youngsters of the time, Dimitar started as a private teacher, in order, to make a living. This was a time when he worked in the districts of Eski Djumaya and Shumla. In 1862, his uncle Evstati "Hilendarski" /unknown dates/, takes him to study in Kiev Seminary where Dimitar graduates with a monastic degree in 1867. However, this is not enough for the spiritual endeavors of the young man. Supported by the "Slav Charitable Society", he is first enrolled in the Philology Faculty and, then, in the Medical Faculty of Odessa University as a student.

Graduation year 1873 and Dr. Dimitar Mollov, now as a Russian citizen, remains to a position of an assistant doctor in the surgical clinic of Prof. Gaga. In the next years, we see him to be a prospective young physician - whose, appointments in the clinic of Prof. Bassov in Moskow and publications in the journal "Moskovskje vedomosti", make him well known. In 1876, Dr. Mollov is advanced with his doctoral dissertation: "One modification of chloroform anesthesia a la Clode Bernar" is result from his efforts in the pharmacological laboratory of Prof. Sokolovsky. The central theme of his research is "pre-medication with morphine", recommended, 20-30 min before narcosis and is evaluated as "good" contribution to the developing science of anesthesiology.

The years 1876 and 1877 are crucial for the fate of the Balkan states - former, provinces of the Ottoman Empire. Dr. Mollov is at the frontline of battle. First, during Serbian-Turk War /1876/, his team - six doctors with auxiliary personal - works at a sanitary train and get supplied by the "Moskow Trade Union". Next, during Russian-Turk War /1877/, he volunteers as a member of the "Russian Red Cross" and is, again, team with a sanitary train composition. More details on the two wars are found in the Mollov's archive, which, comprise the story of three generations of the family: Dimitar, son Vasil /physician, professor/ and Vladimir /jurist, community activist/!

Year 1878, the liberation of Bulgaria form Turkish dependence. But before this date, already, Dr. Dimitar Mollov is within the organisational plan of General Governer Cherkasky. He is appointed "gubernks" physician of the newly liberated Vidin sandjak /cf. chap. 1, fasc. 3/. In 1879, the second General Governor Dondukov-Korsakov orders him that a new sanitary structure is necessary - according, his "Temporary rules for administration of medical services in Bulgaria". Meanwhile, the Founding National Assembly is convened in Turnovo and Mollov elected deputy member. On 16 April 1879, he is among 279 national electors ratifying a "new constitution". Dr. Mollov is with the liberals - from the fraction of Petko Karavelov /1843-1903/ - and managing editor of the liberal whip with library "St. Kliment". In the period, from 1878 to 1881, are presented chronicles from the Assembly life and, also, translations from the worlds classics - Platon, Petrarka, Bayron, Longfellow, Guy de Mopassan, Flobeur, Zolla, Goete, Hayne, Pushkin, Lermontov, Koltzov, Nekrasov, Saltikov-Chtedrin, Tolstoy, Chekov, etc. This journal is in the good traditions of the french "Bibliotheque Utile" and the german "Universal Bibliotek".

The year 1879, also, is landmark for the formation of the "Supreme Medical Council" /SMC/ in Bulgaria. Dr. Dimitar Mollov, it was mentioned before, is chairman of the first SMC and his "Temporary rules …" are in power - with minor revisions - until 1903. While serving his mandate, in the period 7 September 1883 - 29 June 1884, Dr. Mollov is elected Minister of Public Education in the cabinet of Dragan Tzankov. The latter position is continued, in connection to the Serb-Bulgarian War /1885/, with the organization and administration of the "Bulgarian Red Cross". Thus, during the war, the organization comprise two divisions: 1. Hospital team, in the "Alexander's Hospital" and taking care of the wounded in the rearguard; 2. Outpatient team, working as a mobile ambulance sanitary hospital /MASH/ in the hills of Slivnitza. The work of the Bulgarian Red Cross is in accord with an international team from the Red Cross-Red Crescent movement /more details …/. However, Dr. Mollov is always at the frontline of the Bulgarian Red Cross, namely, as a member of the governing body and as one of the few qualified surgeons at that time in Bulgaria.

Simple as that, life for Dr. Mollov has not always been smooth and easy. He is subjected, during period 1891-1894, to persecution from the cabinet of prime-minister Stafan Stambolov. The accusations are to be an accomplice in the murder of finance-minister Christo Belchev, but, they couldn't be proven and he is interned … in his birth place of Bebrovo. The trial, a boost event for the time, ends with 4 people sentenced to death /i.e. Svetoslav Milarov, Konstantin Popov, Toma Georgiev & Alexander Karagyulev/ and some one dozen other people put to prison. The jurisdiction, still, ponders on the effects of this case together with the precedence on criminal law in Bulgaria.

The year is 1894 and Dr. Dimitar Mollov is back on the political stage. This time, as a member of the parliamentary committee investigating the illegal actions of Stambolov's government. Meanwhile, the People's Party submit his candidacy for mayor of Sofia. As such, from 1895 to 1897, Dr. Mollov is very helpful to sanitary reforms in the capital and never shirk from his duties as community activist.

Numerous are his secondary social engagements, but, we will briefly give account for the important ones, namely: 1. Editor for the first bulgarian medical journals, like, "Medizinski Napredak", "Bulgarski Lekar" and others; 2. Associate /1881/ and full /1884/ member of the Bulgarian Academy of Science - former, Bulgarian Literary Association; 3. First chairman of the Bulgarian Medical Association /1901/; 4. Carrier of decorations - "St. Stanislav" II degr., "St. Anna" III degr., "St. Alexander" III degr. with strings, "For Civil Valor" II degr. - also, carrier of many medal attachments; 5. Last but not least, with respect to our primary orientation to public health issues, we must point out one of his many medical publications, namely - "Hygiene, or how to prevent health and maintain good disposition. Vienna: Yanko Kovachev Print, 1878" - further, this being a condensation from a book by Prof. Karl Reklama, Medical University of Leipzig.

Dr. Dimitar Mollov dies on 8 January 1914 in Sofia.