Narabayashi Souken - Narabayashi Souken

A physician of Dutch medicine. The second son of Saga domain physician Narabayashi Eitetsu (Takatsune), and younger brother of Eiken. Born in the residence of the Saga domain physician in Omura-machi, Nagasaki. His given name was Sen, commonly known as Ryoma. His pen name was Kosho, and his pen names were Wazan and Tokushoken. His given name was Takafusa. He started out as a Dutch interpreter, but when Siebold came to Japan as a physician for the trading post, he was allowed to treat general patients and teach medicine to Japanese people at the Narabayashi family home, and was influenced by this and his brother to pursue medicine. When Siebold opened the Narutaki School, he enrolled and was hailed as a talented student. In 1827 (Bunsei 10), he became a physician for the Saga domain. In 1840 (Tenpo 11), he moved to Katsuyama-cho, and after his brother Eiken moved to Kyoto, he inherited the family headship and became a personal physician to Lord Nabeshima of Saga, informing the lord about overseas affairs. In 1847 (Koka 4), he was ordered by the feudal lord Nabeshima Naomasa (Kansou) to consult with Mornike, a physician at the trading post, to order cowpox scabs from Java, and in 1849 (Kaei 2), he successfully inoculated his son Kenzaburo and two other children with the disease, gradually spreading it further. This was the beginning of smallpox vaccination in Japan. He opened the Taiseikan medical school in Bungo-cho. His works include "A Brief Study of Cowpox," "Narabayashi Renko," and "Tokushoken Hokan."

[Tetsuo Suenaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

蘭方(らんぽう)医。佐賀藩医楢林栄哲（高連）の二男。栄建の弟。長崎大村町の佐賀藩医役宅に生まれる。名は潜、通称竜馬。字(あざな)は孔昭、号は和山・得生軒。諱(いみな)は高房。初めオランダ通詞であったが、シーボルトが商館医として来日した当初、楢林家において一般患者の診療や日本人への医学教授を行うことが許されたこともあり、兄とともにその影響を受け医学を目ざした。シーボルトが鳴滝(なるたき)塾を開くと入門、逸材とうたわれた。1827年（文政10）佐賀藩医。1840年（天保11）勝山町へ移り、兄栄建が京都へ移ったあと家督を相続し、佐賀鍋島(なべしま)侯御側医(おそばい)格となり、同侯に海外事情を伝えた。1847年（弘化4）藩主鍋島直正(なおまさ)（閑叟(かんそう)）の命を受け商館医モーニケと相談、牛痘痂皮(かひ)をジャワから取り寄せ、1849年（嘉永2）息子建三郎ほか2児に接種して成功、漸次広めた。日本での種痘の始めである。豊後町に医塾大成館を開設。著作に『牛痘小考』『楢林煉膏』『得生軒宝函』がある。

［末中哲夫］

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