Aoyama Tanemichi

A medical scientist during the Meiji and Taisho periods. Born on May 15, 1858, as the third child of Aoyama Kagemichi (1819-1891), a samurai of Naegi Domain in Mino Province (Gifu Prefecture). In 1869 (Meiji 2), he was adopted by the Japanese scholar Hirata Nobutane, and changed his childhood name from Sukematsu to Tanemichi, but two years later, due to family circumstances, he returned to the Aoyama family. In 1882, he graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tokyo, and the following year, in 1883, he was ordered to study in Germany, where he majored in internal medicine at the University of Berlin. He returned to Japan in 1887 and became a professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the Imperial University of Tokyo (now the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Tokyo). When the plague broke out in Hong Kong in 1894, he was sent by the government along with Kitasato Shibasaburo to conduct research, but he contracted the plague and narrowly escaped death. In 1897, he was appointed director of the university hospital, and as professor of internal medicine, he contributed to the import of German medicine and the early development of medicine in Japan. His main research achievements included the plague and other infectious diseases, and beriberi, but rather than his academic achievements, he was known for training many talented medical professionals. He was a member of the Imperial Academy, chairman of the Cancer Research Society (now the Cancer Research Society), an official of the Imperial Household Ministry, and director of the Institute for Infectious Diseases (now the Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo). He died of esophageal cancer on December 23, 1917.

[Yasuhito Fukase]

"Aoyama Insatsugu," edited by Uzaki Kumakichi (1930, Aoyama Internal Medicine Alumni Association)" ▽ "Kumagaya Kenji, edited by Aoyama Insatsugu, Memories of Dr. Aoyama (1959, Dr. Aoyama's 100th Birthday Celebration Preparation Committee)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

明治・大正の医学者。安政6年5月15日美濃(みの)国（岐阜県）苗木藩士青山景通(あおやまかげみち)（1819―1891）の第3子として生まれる。1869年（明治2）国学者平田信胤(ひらたのぶたね)の養子となって、幼名の助松を胤通と改めたが、2年後に家庭の事情で青山家に復した。1882年東京大学医学部を卒業、翌1883年ドイツに留学を命ぜられ、ベルリン大学で内科学を専攻し、1887年に帰国、帝国大学医科大学（現、東京大学医学部）教授となった。1894年香港(ホンコン)にペストが流行したとき、調査研究のため北里柴三郎(きたさとしばさぶろう)とともに政府から派遣されたが、このときペストに感染して九死に一生を得た。1897年大学付属病院長を兼ね、内科主任教授としてドイツ医学の輸入と、日本の医学の初期の発展に力を尽くした。おもな研究業績には、ペストをはじめとする感染症や脚気(かっけ)があるが、学問的業績よりもむしろ医学者として多くの人材を育て上げた功績が大きい。帝国学士院会員、癌(がん)研究会（現、がん研究会）会長、宮内省御用掛、伝染病研究所（現、東京大学医科学研究所）所長などを歴任した。大正6年12月23日食道癌で死去。

［深瀬泰旦］

『鵜崎熊吉編『青山胤通』（1930・青山内科同窓会）』▽『熊谷謙二編『思い出の青山胤通先生』（1959・青山先生生誕壱百年祭準備委員会）』

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