Journey in Orthopedic Science

Excerpt

The dawn of modern science in Japan can be traced back to the early cultivators of science in the mid-eighteenth century, during the Edo era, when changes occurred in the field of medicine. During those days, physicians began to show interest in accurate anatomical drawings in Dutch medical books and gradually embraced the ideas of trial and experimentation. Among such physicians were Toyo Yamawaki and Genpaku Sugita [1]. Yamawaki, who observed the first officially approved human dissection, published Zoshi in 1759. Subsequently, Sugita and a group of physicians translated the Dutch version of a German book, Ontleedkundige Tafelen, into Japanese, and published the notable textbook under the title of Kaitai Shinsho (A New Book of Anatomy) in 1774. Various medical terms, such as nankotsu (cartilage) and shin-kei (nerve), were coined at this time, and these physicians’ struggles to become cultivators of science are detailed in Rangaku Koto Hajime by Sugita. These publications undoubtedly became cornerstones of the development of science and medicine in Japan. …