B4 Hospital Check Up

04/03/2020| Eli| 0 Comment| 2:15 pm

Show Notes for bonus episode 4 of our Podcast – Hospital Check Up.

We gave Heather a call for a Hospital Check Up and while we were at it, we thought we would look at some medical history from Japan.

These notes are the few things I found of note about Japanese Medical History to tell Heather whilst we checked up on her.

The first few bullet points are more overarching periods of times, followed by more specific ones.

6th-7th Centuries – Kampo Medicine beings. This is the study of Chinese Medicine in Japan.
1200-1693 – Most physicians during this time are Buddhist Monks.
1603-1868 – During the Edo Period, ‘Dutch Learning’ known as Rangaku is intruduced into Japan. This brings western medical textbooks to Japan causing debates between western and traditional Chinese medicine. By the time of the Meiji Restoration, traditional Chinese medicine falls into decline.

Now moving on the more specific things.

c.912 – The oldest Japanese medicial textbook to have survived to the modern day is written by Tamba Yasuyori.
1556 – The first eastern hospital is opened in Oita (Kyushu) by a Jesuit Missionary called Luis de Almeida.
1804 – The first operation under anesthesia is undertaken using the (poisonous) datura plant. Commonly known as the devils trumpet.
1922 – The first health insurance law is introduced. but at the time is does not cover all people.
1938 – A new health insurance law is brought in extanding the coverage to farmers, fishermen, foresters etc.
1976 – 82 types of kampo medicine are approved for use by the Ministry of Health.

You can listen to the full podcast episodes here: Japan Archives, or wherever you listen to Podcasts.