Basic research on the spread of vaccination in the Kyushu area and the modernization of regional health care

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K02867
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Japanese history
• Research Institution: Saga University
• Principal Investigator: AOKI TOSHIYUKI 佐賀大学, 地域学歴史文化研究センター, 研究員 (60444866)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 大島 明秀 熊本県立大学, 文学部, 准教授 (50508786) ; ミヒェル ヴォルフガング 公益財団法人 研医会, その他部局等, 研究員(移行) (90619769)
• Research Collaborator: AIKAWA Tadaomi ; IMAJYO Masahiro ; UMIHARA Ryo ; OGAWA Ayako ; KANEKO Shinji ; TAMURA Shozo ; HORI Akari ; YAMAUCHI Yuki ; YOSHIDA Youichi ; WASHIZAKI Yuki
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 種痘 / 牛痘 / 引痘方 / 楢林宗建 / 医学校 / 伊東玄朴 / 再帰牛痘法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

After several failed attempts active vaccine finally arrived in Japan on 11th August 1849. From Nagasaki it quickly spread throughout Kyushu as many Japanese physicians were already well aware of the principles of inoculation . The Saga clan, for example, introduced a well-organized and completely financed vaccination policy. In Nakatsu well-informed physicians brought vaccine from Nagasaki . Two years later merchants financed the establishment of a medical house (igakkan) for further studies and vaccination. In the Fukuoka domain too, a clan physician took the initiative in 1849 until his activities were acknowledged and supported by the clan. During those early years vaccination was maintained by arm-to-arm transfer, In 1858 Kokura domain physicians experimented with the retrovaccination (cow-human-cow-human transfer) introduced by Galbiati and Troja in 1803. This deeply influenced the general acceptance of Western medicine and the establishment of regional health care structures.

Free Research Field

日本近世史