Ogawa Shosen

Japanese: 小川笙船 - おがわ・しょうせん

Year of death: June 14, 1760 (July 26, 1760)
Year of birth: 1672
A doctor in the mid-Edo period. His given name was Hiromasa, and his pen name was Ungo. Shosen was his nickname. He was from Omi Province (Shiga Prefecture), and during Shosen's time, he opened a clinic in front of Koishikawa Denzuin in Edo. In 1721 (Kyoho 6), he submitted a 17-article opinion to the shogunate authorities via the suggestion box. Among these, the idea of establishing a dispensary to help the poor was adopted, and in the same year, a dispensary was opened in Koishikawa Botanical Garden and named "Yojosho." The Yojosho was placed under the control of the town magistrate, and doctors such as Hayashi Ryoteki, Oka Joan, and Kinoshita Doen were put in charge of medical services, with Shosen appointed as its head (kanin). His son Tanji was also ordered to act as caretaker. The doctors were appointed from among the doctors who lived in the Koishikawa area, such as doctors for small construction works, doctors on duty, and town doctors, and at first there were 89 doctors in the main department (internal medicine), surgery, ophthalmology, etc. Later, the number of doctors was greatly reduced. Shosen was awarded 20 silver coins and a house for his achievements, and was about to be appointed as a doctor of the Shogunate, but he declined due to his old age.

(Kurakata Hiromasa)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：宝暦10.6.14(1760.7.26)
生年：寛文12(1672)
江戸中期の医者。名は広正,号は雲語。笙船は通称。近江国(滋賀県)の人で,笙船の代に江戸の小石川伝通院前で開業する。享保6(1721)年目安箱を通じて意見書17条を幕府当局に提出。このなかで施薬局を設けて貧病人を救うことが採用され,同7年小石川薬園内に施薬局が開設され「養生所」と名づけられた。養生所は町奉行の支配とし,林良適,岡丈庵,木下道円らの医師を医務に当たらせ,笙船はその長(肝煎)に任命される。息子丹治も世話人役を命じられた。医員は小石川付近在住の寄合医師,小普請医師,御番医師,町医などから任命され,初めは本道(内科),外科,眼科など89名がいた。のちには医員の数は大幅に削減されている。笙船はこの間の功により銀20枚と宅地を下賜され,幕府医官に抜擢されようとしたが,老齢を理由に辞退している。<参考文献>紫竹屏山『本朝医人伝』,富士川游『日本医学史』

(蔵方宏昌)

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