Ogata Koan

A Dutch medical scholar in the late Edo period. Born on July 14, 1812, as the third son of Saeki Sezaemon, a samurai of Ashimori Domain, Bitchu Province (Okayama Prefecture). His childhood name was Tagami Seinosuke, his given name was Akira, his pen name was Kosai, and he was known as Tekisai or Kain. He was commonly known as Sanpei, and later changed his name to Koan. In 1825 (Bunsei 8), when his father became the caretaker of the Osaka storehouse, he accompanied him to Osaka. Being naturally weak, he realized that he was not suited to being a samurai, and so he aspired to become a doctor to help sick people, and in the following year, 1826, he became a student of Nakatenyu. Four years later, after much effort, he entered Tsuboi Shindo's private school in Edo, where he stayed for three years. He also received guidance from Ueda Shinsai, Ueda Yoan, and Mitsukuri Genpo, and his learning progressed greatly. His translations of works such as "A Brief Explanation of the Human Body," "A Treatise on Weak Vision," "A Brief Explanation of Dutch Words," and "A Collection of Hakunai Eiji Techniques," were widely read in manuscript form. He also contributed to the writing of the weights and measures tables for Shinsai and Yoan's large work "Ensei Iho Meibutsu Ko Sui."

In 1836 (Tenpo 7), he traveled to Nagasaki. He is said to have studied under Johannes Erdewin Niemann (1796-1850), the chief of the Dutch trading post, but he was also blessed with good friends, and together with Aoki Shuhitsu and Ito Nanyo (Oka Kaizo) (1799-1884), he translated Shuchinnaigehoso, which was well received and widely used. It was around this time that he took the name Koan.

In 1838, he married Yae (1822-1886), the daughter of Okugawa Hyakki, a disciple of Nakatenyu, and opened the Tekijuku (Tekijuku) in Kawaramachi, Osaka, which he moved to Kashomachi (Kitahama 3-3, Chuo-ku, Osaka) in 1843. Koan's reputation was so great that talented people from all over the country gathered at the school, and after the move, there were 637 students boarding at the school (their names are recorded in the "Seimeiroku Tekijuku" held by the Japan Academy). Including students from outside the school, the number is said to be between 2,000 and 3,000. Notable students at the school included Mitsukuri Shuhei, Otori Keisuke, Sano Tsunetami, Nagayo Sensai, Kashiwabara Gakuji (1835-1910), Fukuzawa Yukichi, Hanabusa Yoshimoto (1842-1917), Ogata Ikuzo, Tsuboi Nobuyoshi (1825-1904), and Ishii Nobuyoshi (1840-1882), while students Hashimoto Sanai died during the Ansei Purge and Omura Masujiro died after being attacked by an assassin in 1869 (Meiji 2). The ranks of politicians and military figures in the early Meiji period are filled with faces from Satsuma and Choshu, while the ranks of cultural figures are filled with faces from Tekijuku.

He wrote and translated many books, including those mentioned above, as well as the large-scale work "Fushi's Experiences and Teachings" (30 volumes), which he translated with Ikuzo Ogata and became popular throughout the country; "Guidelines for Treating Diarrhea" and "General Treatises on Pathophysiology" (3 volumes), which were published in response to the Ansei cholera epidemic (1858); and "Most Theory on Cowpox," a manuscript on Jenner's cowpox vaccination.

When cowpox vaccine was imported and arrived in Kyoto in 1849 (Kaei 2), he asked Echizen domain doctor Kasahara Hakuo to distribute it and held a solemn distribution ceremony. He then established a smallpox vaccination center in Osaka and administered vaccinations with the cooperation of Yamatoya Kihei, Ogata Ikuzo, and others. He eventually received official permission from the magistrate's office and contributed to the prevention of smallpox, and these efforts are recorded in the "Records of the Smallpox Vaccination Center."

In 1862 (Bunkyu 2), at the shogunate's strong request, Koan was appointed as the Shogun's inner physician and head of the medical institute. However, ten months later, on June 10, Bunkyu 3, he vomited a large amount of blood and suddenly passed away. He was buried at Kobayashi-ji Temple in Komagome, Edo, and Ryukai-ji Temple in Osaka. He was awarded the fourth rank. Tekijuku is currently designated as a national historic site and important cultural property, and is open to the public under the management of Osaka University.

[Tsunezaburo Fujino]

"The Life of Ogata Koan, by Ogata Tomio (1942/Expanded edition, 1977, Iwanami Shoten)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸末期の蘭方(らんぽう)医学者。文化(ぶんか)7年7月14日、備中(びっちゅう)国（岡山県）足守(あしもり)藩士佐伯瀬左衛門(さえきせざえもん)の三男として生まれる。幼名田上騂之助(せいのすけ)、名は章、字(あざな)は公裁、適々斎または華陰と号した。通称は三平、のち洪庵と改めた。1825年（文政8）父が大坂蔵屋敷留守居役になったため同行して大坂に出た。生来柔弱であり、武士に適さないと自覚し、病苦の人を救う医の道を志し、翌1826年中天游(なかてんゆう)の門に入った。4年後、苦心して江戸の坪井信道(しんどう)の塾に入り、3年間在塾。一方、宇田川榛斎(しんさい)、宇田川榕菴(ようあん)、箕作阮甫(みつくりげんぽ)らの指導も受け、学は大いに進んだ。そして洪庵の訳になる『人身窮理(きゅうり)小解』『視力乏弱病論』『和蘭詞解(オランダしかい)略説』『白内翳治(はくないえいち)術集編』などが写本で広く読まれた。また榛斎と榕菴の大著『遠西医方名物考　補遺』の度量衡表を分担執筆した。

　1836年（天保7）長崎に赴く。オランダ商館長ニーマンJohannes Erdewin Niemann（1796―1850）について学んだともいわれるが、良友に恵まれ、青木周弼(しゅうひつ)、伊藤南洋（岡海蔵）（1799―1884）と『袖珍内外方叢(しゅうちんないげほうそう)』を共訳、好評を博し広く利用された。このころから洪庵を名のる。

　1838年、中天游門下の億川百記の娘八重（1822―1886）と結婚、大坂・瓦(かわら)町に適々斎塾（適塾）を開き、1843年過書(かしょ)町（大阪市中央区北浜3―3）に移った。洪庵の名声は高く全国から俊秀が集まり、移転後の塾内寄宿門人は637名を数える（その名を記録した『姓名録　適々斎』は日本学士院に保存）。外塾生をあわせると2000人とも3000人ともいわれる。おもな塾生には、箕作秋坪(しゅうへい)、大鳥圭介(けいすけ)、佐野常民、長与専斎、柏原学而(かしわばらがくじ)（1835―1910）、福沢諭吉、花房義質(はなぶさよしもと)（1842―1917）、緒方郁蔵(いくぞう)、坪井信良（1825―1904）、石井信義（1840―1882）らがおり、また塾生の橋本左内(さない)は安政(あんせい)の大獄で、大村益次郎(ますじろう)は1869年（明治2）刺客に襲われたのちに死亡した。明治初期の政治家・軍人の列には薩長(さっちょう)の顔が、文化人の列には適塾の顔が並ぶ。

　著書、訳書は多く、前出のもののほか、緒方郁蔵との共訳で全国に普及した大著『扶氏(ふし)経験遺訓』（30巻）や、安政のコレラ流行（1858）に際して出版した『虎狼痢治準(ころりちじゅん)』、『病学通論』（3巻）、ジェンナー牛痘種痘に関する写本『モスト牛痘説』などがある。

　1849年（嘉永2）牛痘苗が輸入されて京都に到着した際、越前(えちぜん)藩医笠原白翁(かさはらはくおう)に分与を請い、厳かな分苗式を行った。そして大坂に除痘館(じょとうかん)を設け、大和屋(やまとや)喜兵衛、緒方郁蔵らの協力を得て種痘を行い、ついに奉行所(ぶぎょうしょ)から官許を得るなど天然痘の予防に貢献、その記録『除痘館記録』がある。

　1862年（文久2）、洪庵は幕府の強い要請を受けて奥医師兼医学所頭取に就任した。しかし10か月後の文久(ぶんきゅう)3年6月10日、多量の血を吐いて急逝し、江戸駒込(こまごめ)高林寺と大坂の龍海寺に葬られた。贈従(じゅ)四位。現在、適塾は国の史跡・重要文化財に指定され、大阪大学が管理し一般に公開されている。

［藤野恒三郎］

『緒方富雄著『緒方洪庵伝』（1942／増補版・1977・岩波書店）』

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