Bakhmetev, Porfirii Ivanovich

Born Feb. 25 (Mar. 9), 1860; died Oct. 11 (24), 1913. Russian physicist and research biologist.

Bakhmet’ev studied at the University of Zurich (1879–85). From 1890 to 1907 he was a professor at the University of Sofia. In 1913 he lectured at Shaniavskii University (Moscow). Bakhmet’ev worked on problems of magnetism, electricity, geophysics, and physical chemistry, especially thermoelectricity. His studies (after 1897) of the phenomena of anabiosis upon cooling of animals became especially famous. Bakhmet’ev developed a thermoelectric thermometer for measuring the temperature of insects and showed that emergence from the condition of anabiosis is possible, if the tissue liquids remain in a cooled, but liquid, state. Bakhmet’ev was the first to induce anabiosis in mammals (bats).