Nihon ishigaku zasshi. [Journal of Japanese history of medicine]最新文献

In early 1946, immediately after World War II, there was a smallpox epidemic in Japan. In this paper we investigated trends in the occurrence of smallpox by week and region using official documents of the General Headquarters, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (GHQ/SCAP), which are stored in the National Diet Library Modern Japanese Political History Materials Room, and summarized the measures taken against this epidemic. The following two points were clarified: 1) The 1946 smallpox epidemic peaked in Week 13 (March 24-30; 1,405 new patients), and the highest morbidity during this epidemic was seen in Hyogo Prefecture, followed by Osaka Prefecture, Aichi Prefecture, Tokyo Prefecture, and Hokkaido Prefecture. 2) Measures taken against this epidemic were classified into the following three stages: 1. "Vaccine shortage/Manufacture acceleration stage," 2. "Vaccine sufficiency/Smallpox vaccination program implementation stage," and 3. "Detection of defects in vaccination technique/Reimplementation of the smallpox vaccination program stage".

The psychoprophylactic method is one of the methods for providing 'painless childbirth without drugs' and was invented by applying I. Pavlov's theory of higher nervous activity. In 1951, it was adopted as a national policy in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. This method was then introduced in the People's Republic of China in 1952. In 1953, it was brought to Japan by Masatomo SUGAI, an obstetrician, and was introduced into the Central Hospital of Maternity of the Japanese Red Cross Society with the support of the director, Naotarou KUJI. The practice of this method by the research team, which consisted of the obstetricians and midwives of the Central Hospital of Maternity of the Japanese Red Cross Society and Oomori Red Cross Hospital, resulted in the initiation and characterization of the prenatal care program to encourage the autonomy of the pregnant women for normal parturition in the institutions of Japan.

Famous geologist Nicolaus Steno (1638-1686) was known as a skillful anatomist in his time. His main work about anatomy is "Elementorum myologiae specimen, seu musculi descriptio geometrica". Steno introduced geometrical representation into muscle study. His purpose was to handle muscle movements in the style of Cartesian mechanical philosophy, assuming muscle fibers as the structural and functional unit of muscle. Steno modelled muscles as parallelepiped integrations of fibers. Steno thought the shortening of muscle fibers modified parallelepiped integration and its modification resulted in muscle movements. His parallelepiped model enabled the regarding of muscles as objects of physics. Steno's assumption and model built a methodological foundation of mechanistic physiology of muscle, and influenced latter 17th century thinkers, especially Borelli.

Ishido Kanae entered the medical school Syunrin-ken which Hanaoka Seisyu established in the intercalary year of 1797, the ninth year of the Kansei era. In 1818, the first year of the Bunsei era, in the Imose family of Seisyu's wife, Kae, Kae's older brother died. They had no sons who could carry on the Imose name. Ishido Kanae married into the Imose family. Imose Kanae changed his family name to "Imose", and managed the Hanaoka Medical Institute, holding positions such as assistant professor and dean. In 1826, the ninth year of the Bunsei era, Rokujyo, Seisyu's younger brother, became sick. Imose Kanae changed his family name to "Hanaoka" and managed the medical school as Sensei, a professor. After Hanaoka Seisyu's death, Hanaoka Kanae became the head doctor and supported the Hanaoka Medical Institute. But in May, 1840, the eleventh year of the Tenpou era, Hanaoka Kanae was buried in the Imose grave plot as Imose-shi Ichidai, one generation of the Imose family.

On the 9th of August, 1503 the 10th Ming Emperor, Hongzhi, conveyed his desire to the Grand Secretariat that the Pharmacopoeia be edited. In response, the Grand Secretariat conveyed to the Emperor its intended procedure; namely, to choose two directors-general from among the members of the Hanlin Academy and to have the Imperial Academy of Medicine actually carry out the editing of the Pharmacopoeia. The Imperial Academy of Medicine, however, proposed another idea to the Emperor; that Imperial Academy members only be responsible for the editing. In consequence, the Grand Secretariat insisted on testing the ability of the Imperial Academy members. Though the Hongzhi Emperor agreed with the Grand Secretariat's policy and ordered it, the Imperial Academy of Medicine withdrew on the grounds that its ability was insufficient. The Hongzhi Emperor consented to this and sent a new order that the Hanlin Academy alone should carry out the editing. Nonetheless, as a face-saving measure, the Imperial Academy of Medicine was chosen to select a member as an editor, and the editing of the Pharmacopoeia commenced. The editing was completed on the 3rd of March, 1505, and it was then presented to the Hongzhi Emperor. This Pharmacopoeia, was entitled "Yuzhi bencao pinhui jinyao," and included a preface by The Hongzhi Emperor.