Takaoki Sasaki - Takaoki Sasaki

A medical scientist. Born in Honjo, Tokyo as the second son of Sasaki Toumei, he was adopted by Masakichi Sasaki (1855-1939), a professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the Imperial University of Tokyo. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the Imperial University of Tokyo in 1902 (Meiji 35), majoring in medical chemistry. In 1905, he studied in Germany at his own expense, studying under Emil Fischer at the University of Berlin. In 1910, he returned to Japan and became the vice director of Kyoundo Hospital in Surugadai, Kanda, Tokyo, while continuing experiments at the private Sasaki Laboratory. In 1913 (Taisho 2), he was asked to take up a three-year professorship at the Faculty of Medicine of the Imperial University of Kyoto, where he was in charge of internal medicine. He clarified the relationship between nephritis and hypertension, and was the first in Japan to emphasize the need for blood pressure measurement. In 1916, he became the third director of Kyoundo Hospital and reopened the laboratory. In 1924, he was awarded the Imperial Academy Prize for his research into the bacterial decomposition and synthesis of amino acids. He further promoted chemical morphological pathology and advanced his cancer research, and with the cooperation of Yoshida Tomizo, he succeeded in creating artificial liver cancer in rats by oral administration of ortho-aminoazotoluol, for which he was awarded the Imperial Academy Prize again in 1936 (Showa 11). In 1940, he became the first medical professional to be awarded the Order of Culture. He achieved great things through his independent research life, and was also well-versed in Chinese classics and was a swordsman who was certified in the Hokushin Itto-ryu style of swordsmanship, becoming an expert in fencing while studying in Germany, making him a master of both the martial arts and the literary arts.

[Honda Kazuji]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

医学者。佐々木東溟(とうめい)の二男として東京・本所(ほんじょ)で生まれ、帝国大学医科大学教授佐々木政吉（1855―1939）の養子となり、1902年（明治35）東京帝国大学医科大学を卒業、医化学を専攻。1905年ドイツに私費留学し、ベルリン大学でエミール・フィッシャーに師事して1910年帰国、東京神田駿河台(するがだい)の杏雲堂(きょううんどう)医院副院長となり、同時に私設の佐々木研究所で実験を続けた。1913年（大正2）請われて3年間の約束で京都帝国大学医科大学教授に就任し内科学を担当。腎臓(じんぞう)炎と血圧亢進(こうしん)の関係を明らかにし、日本で初めて血圧測定の必要性を力説した。1916年杏雲堂医院の3代目院長となり研究所も再開。1924年、アミノ酸の細菌による分解とアミノ酸の合成に関する研究で帝国学士院恩賜賞を受賞。さらに化学的形態病理学を提唱して癌(がん)研究を進め、吉田富三の協力でオルトアミノアツォトルオールの経口的投与によりラットに人工肝癌をつくることに成功、1936年（昭和11）ふたたび学士院恩賜賞を受けた。1940年医学者として初めて文化勲章を受章。独立独歩の研究生活を貫いて業績をあげ、また漢学の素養が深く、北辰(ほくしん)一刀流の目録を授かった剣士でもあり、ドイツ留学中にフェンシングの名手になったという文武両道の達人であった。

［本田一二］

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