Julius Carl Scriba

A German surgeon. One of the foreigners employed by the government during the Meiji period. He studied medicine at the University of Heidelberg in 1874, becoming a doctor. During his time as a student, he served in the Prussian-French War, and later studied surgery at universities in Berlin and Freiburg. In 1881 (Meiji 14), he was invited to the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tokyo to succeed Emil AW Schultze (1840-1924). He was popular for his excellent surgical skills and his gentle, calm disposition, and in 1901 (Meiji 34), he was awarded the title of honorary professor and served at Tokyo Imperial University for 20 years until his retirement. Just as Baelz is called the father of Japanese medicine, he is revered as a benefactor of Japanese surgery. He is known for performing the first kidney removal surgery in Japan and using silk thread for suturing.

He was on friendly terms with the Army Surgeon General and court physician Hashimoto Tsunatsune (1845-1909) and Privy Councilor Aoki Shuzo, and had a wide network of acquaintances in the Imperial Court and among aristocrats. Not only was he a professor of surgery at the university, but he also worked hard on military surgery and hygiene at the Army Medical Department, and, together with Bälz, on the development of quarantine and disease prevention systems as a member of the Central Hygiene Association. After retiring from the university, he became head of surgery at St. Luke's Hospital, and died of illness in 1905. He had three sons with his Japanese wife, Kamiya Yasu.

[Akinori Kamiya August 21, 2018]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

ドイツの外科医。明治期のお雇い外国人の一人。1874年ハイデルベルク大学で医学を学び、ドクトルとなる。在学中プロイセン・フランス戦争に従軍、その後ベルリン、フライブルクの大学などで外科医学を学んだ。1881年（明治14）シュルツェEmil A. W. Schultze（1840―1924）の後任として東京大学医学部に招かれた。外科手術に優れ、温和で恬淡(てんたん)な気質で人気があり、1901年（明治34）名誉教師の称号を贈られ東京帝国大学を退任するまで在職20年に及び、ベルツが日本医学の父とよばれるように、彼は日本外科学の恩人と敬慕されている。日本で最初の腎臓(じんぞう)摘出手術や、縫合に絹糸を用いたことなどが知られている。

　陸軍軍医総監で侍医の橋本綱常（1845―1909）、枢密顧問官青木周蔵らと親交があり、宮中、貴顕に交際が広く、大学の外科学教授としてだけでなく、陸軍軍医部における軍陣外科学、同衛生学、またベルツとともに中央衛生会委員として検疫、防疫体制の発展に尽力した。大学退任後は聖路加病院外科主任となり明治38年病没。日本人の妻神谷ヤスとの間に3男がある。

［神谷昭典　2018年8月21日］

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