[Misunderstandings of Seishu Hanaoka's Medicine and Philosophy]

Masui. 2016 Nov;65(11):1184-1189.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

Although Seishu Hanaoka glories in the history of anesthesia in Japan, misunderstandings of his medicine and philosophy are widespread among the public as well as physicians. The incorrect opinions include: 1) he kept his art under wraps, 2) therefore his medicine did not prevail through the country, 3) the general anesthetic that he developed was formally called Tsu- sensan but not Mafutsusan, 4) his surgical art was too transcendent to be learned by his disciples, and 5) erroneous views of Seishu's maxim Naigai Goitsu Ka- tsubutsu Kyuri. Teachers of anesthesiology in any edu- cational institution are required to have correct under- standings of these subjects because the name of Hana- oka is well known among foreign anesthesiologists and they have much interests in his medicine and philoso- phy.

Publication types

  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • Anesthesia, General
  • Anesthesiology / history*
  • History, 19th Century
  • Japan
  • Philosophy*