Kuriyama Koan

An anatomist from the mid-to-late Edo period. Also written as Koan. The third son of Kuriyama Koan no Tsune, a physician in the Hagi domain of Nagato Province (Yamaguchi Prefecture). His childhood name was Sanai, and he was commonly known as Genshitsu or Genkei, and his pen name was Bunchu. He was known as a kenshin and Daiinsai. In 1741 (Kanpo 1), he inherited the family headship. In 1748 (Kan'en 1), he went to Kyoto and became a disciple of Yamawaki Toyo, returning home after completing his studies. He then traveled to Nagasaki to study Chinese and Dutch medicine, but during this time, he saw an anatomical diagram in a Dutch book and began to have doubts about the Japanese and Chinese theory of the inner view. In 1758 (Horeki 8), he performed the first male dissection in the Hagi domain, and in 1759, the first dissection of a female body and genitals in Japan, which he reported to his teacher Yamawaki Toyo. From 1767 (Meiwa 4), he served as a personal physician to two feudal lords, and from 1769 he often accompanied them on their alternate attendance tours, and formed friendly relations with Tamura Ransui, Hiraga Gennai, and Sugita Genpaku. In 1787 (Tenmei 7), he supervised the disinterment of his adopted grandson, Genatsu. He is buried at Hofukuji Temple in Hagi City.

[Tetsuo Suenaka]

"The History of Medical Science in Bocho, Vol. 2" by Tanaka Sukekazu (1953, Supporters' Association for Publication of the Book, 1984, Shukai Shorin) " "The History of Medical Science in Japan before the Meiji Period 1" edited by the Japan Academy's Society for the Promotion of Science, 1955, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 1978, Japan Center for Archaeological Medicine"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸中後期の解剖医。幸庵とも書く。長門(ながと)国（山口県）萩(はぎ)藩医栗山孝庵之経の三男。幼名は左内、通称を玄室・玄慶、字(あざな)は文仲。献臣・大隠斎と号す。1741年（寛保1）家督相続。1748年（寛延1）京に上り山脇東洋(やまわきとうよう)に入門、業なって帰郷。その後長崎に遊学、中国語および蘭(らん)医学を修得したが、この時期に蘭書の人体解剖図をみて和漢の内景説に疑問を抱いた。1758年（宝暦8）萩藩最初の男体解屍(かいし)を、1759年日本初の女体と生殖器の解剖を行い、師山脇東洋に報告した。1767年（明和4）より藩主2代の御側(おそば)医を勤め、1769年からしばしば参勤交代に随行、田村藍水(らんすい)、平賀源内、杉田玄白らと親交を結んだ。1787年（天明7）に養孫玄厚の解屍を指導した。墓所は萩市保福寺。

［末中哲夫］

『田中助一著『防長医学史　下』（1953・同書刊行後援会／合本複製・1984・聚海書林）』▽『日本学士院日本科学史刊行会編『明治前日本医学史1』（1955・日本学術振興会／複製増訂版・1978・日本古医学資料センター）』

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