Kitasato Shibasaburo 's Hygienics and Contributions to Society
AIZAWA Yoshiharu / Professor Emeritus, Kitasato University
March 31, 2025
Development of Hygienics
In the summer of 2024, Kitasato Shibasaburo 's portrait was adopted on the new ¥1,000 bill. It is not unrelated to the fact that he not only laid the foundation of modern Japanese medicine, but also made significant contributions to the development of medicine around the world.
In the 19th century Europe, the industrial innovations that began in Britain spread throughout the continent. In each country, the quest for economic convenience caused rapid concentration of population in cities, which in turn led to an extreme deterioration of sanitary conditions. As a result, cholera epidemics occurred repeatedly, resulting in a large number of deaths. It was during this period that hygienics, the medical science aimed at disease prevention, developed as a discipline to investigate the causes of environmental factors that erode society and to take countermeasures.
It was originated by Max von Pettenkofer (1818-1901) of Germany, who contributed to the development of hygienics mainly through experimental and scientific methods. Meanwhile, Robert Koch (1843-1910), also of Germany, discovered Bacillus anthracis in 1876 and Mycrobacterium tuberculosis in 1882, and established the foundation of bacterial culture methods by identifying Vibrio cholerae in 1884.
Contributions of Shibasaburo Kitasato
Kitasato Shibasaburo (1853-1931), who learned German medicine from the Dutch doctor van Mansveldt in his hometown Kumamoto, followed the trend of adopting German medicine in Japan and studied under Koch in 1886. While many students at that time changed their place of study after one or two years in order to absorb more hygienic knowledge, Kitasato remained under Koch for six years against the orders of his superiors, and in 1889, while studying in Germany, he succeeded in cultivating a pure strain of tetanus bacteria, something no one had done before, using his own experimental equipment. He also confirmed that the cause of tetanus symptoms was the toxin produced by the bacteria, administered small doses of the toxin to animals, and found that the animals produced antitoxin (antibodies) in their serum, thereby preventing symptoms even when the toxin was administered. This led to the discovery of a method for the prevention and treatment of tetanus, and the application of these results led to the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901 for the discovery of diphtheria serotherapy by his colleague von Behring. More recently, serotherapy was also used in the COVID 19 infections, using sera from people who had recovered.
After returning to Japan, he established a private institute for research on infectious diseases with the assistance of Fukuzawa Yukichi in 1892, and continued his research, including the discovery of the plague bacillus in 1894. After the institute was transferred to the national government in 1899, he continued preventive activities such as smallpox vaccine production, tuberculosis treatment, and educational activities through workshops, contributing greatly to the national efforts to combat infectious diseases. He also made great contributions to the government's measures against infectious diseases. He also made efforts to nurture the next generation, including Kitajima Taichi, who became his successor, Shiga Kiyoshi, who discovered dysentery bacillus, and Hata Sahachiro, who invented Salvarsan, an antibiotic drug for syphilis. The spirit of practical learning which stressed returning the results of research to society was carried over to the Kitasato Institute, which Kitasato established in 1914 after leaving the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, and was succeeded by Dr. Omura Satoshi, who invented ivermectin and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015.
After the death of Fukuzawa Yukichi, Kitasato, who felt indebted to him, took the lead in establishing the School of Medicine (later the Faculty of Medicine) at Keio University and became the first dean of the School of Medicine when the new faculty was founded in 1917 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the University's founding. Kitasato's goal was to establish a medical school that would carry out medical treatment and research without any barriers between basic and clinical medicine or interdepartmental barriers
After Kitasato's death, Kitasato University was established in 1962 as a commemorative project for the 50th anniversary of the Kitasato Institute, and the School of Hygienics was opened. Since then, eight faculties have been added, including the School of Pharmacy, the School of Animal Science, the School of Medicine, the School of Marine Sciences, and the School of Nursing.
Kitasato was the first president of the Japan Medical Association. Takemi Taro, who served as president of the Japan Medical Association for a quarter of a century from 1957 (Showa 32), contributed to the establishment of the system of community medical care and the system of occupational physicians assigned to look after the health and safety of workers. Takemi had suffered from kidney disease when he was a student at Kaisei Junior High School and, during his recuperation, was inspired by the way of life of Fukuzawa and Kitasato. After recovering, he transferred to Keio Junior High School and went on to graduate from Keio University School of Medicine.
Kitasato contributed to the promotion of preventive medicine in Japan by promoting the establishment of the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, becoming its president, and serving as the director of the Imperial Gift Foundation Saiseikai Hospital, the chairman of the Central Sanitary Association, and the president of the Dainippon Private Health Association.
Kitasato was fond of writing the calligraphic presentation of the phrase “Consistency from beginning to end” on colored paper. He lived up to his personal motto “Hoiku Sousei” (improving the health of the people), which he advocated in his treatise on medical ethics written while a student at the University of Tokyo, until his death in 1931 at the age of 78.
Aizawa Yoshiharu is a professor emeritus of Kitasato University.
In the summer of 2024, Kitasato Shibasaburo 's portrait was adopted on the new ¥1,000 bill. It is not unrelated to the fact that he not only laid the foundation of modern Japanese medicine, but also made significant contributions to the development of medicine around the world.
In the 19th century Europe, the industrial innovations that began in Britain spread throughout the continent. In each country, the quest for economic convenience caused rapid concentration of population in cities, which in turn led to an extreme deterioration of sanitary conditions. As a result, cholera epidemics occurred repeatedly, resulting in a large number of deaths. It was during this period that hygienics, the medical science aimed at disease prevention, developed as a discipline to investigate the causes of environmental factors that erode society and to take countermeasures.
It was originated by Max von Pettenkofer (1818-1901) of Germany, who contributed to the development of hygienics mainly through experimental and scientific methods. Meanwhile, Robert Koch (1843-1910), also of Germany, discovered Bacillus anthracis in 1876 and Mycrobacterium tuberculosis in 1882, and established the foundation of bacterial culture methods by identifying Vibrio cholerae in 1884.
Contributions of Shibasaburo Kitasato
Kitasato Shibasaburo (1853-1931), who learned German medicine from the Dutch doctor van Mansveldt in his hometown Kumamoto, followed the trend of adopting German medicine in Japan and studied under Koch in 1886. While many students at that time changed their place of study after one or two years in order to absorb more hygienic knowledge, Kitasato remained under Koch for six years against the orders of his superiors, and in 1889, while studying in Germany, he succeeded in cultivating a pure strain of tetanus bacteria, something no one had done before, using his own experimental equipment. He also confirmed that the cause of tetanus symptoms was the toxin produced by the bacteria, administered small doses of the toxin to animals, and found that the animals produced antitoxin (antibodies) in their serum, thereby preventing symptoms even when the toxin was administered. This led to the discovery of a method for the prevention and treatment of tetanus, and the application of these results led to the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901 for the discovery of diphtheria serotherapy by his colleague von Behring. More recently, serotherapy was also used in the COVID 19 infections, using sera from people who had recovered.
After returning to Japan, he established a private institute for research on infectious diseases with the assistance of Fukuzawa Yukichi in 1892, and continued his research, including the discovery of the plague bacillus in 1894. After the institute was transferred to the national government in 1899, he continued preventive activities such as smallpox vaccine production, tuberculosis treatment, and educational activities through workshops, contributing greatly to the national efforts to combat infectious diseases. He also made great contributions to the government's measures against infectious diseases. He also made efforts to nurture the next generation, including Kitajima Taichi, who became his successor, Shiga Kiyoshi, who discovered dysentery bacillus, and Hata Sahachiro, who invented Salvarsan, an antibiotic drug for syphilis. The spirit of practical learning which stressed returning the results of research to society was carried over to the Kitasato Institute, which Kitasato established in 1914 after leaving the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, and was succeeded by Dr. Omura Satoshi, who invented ivermectin and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015.
After the death of Fukuzawa Yukichi, Kitasato, who felt indebted to him, took the lead in establishing the School of Medicine (later the Faculty of Medicine) at Keio University and became the first dean of the School of Medicine when the new faculty was founded in 1917 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the University's founding. Kitasato's goal was to establish a medical school that would carry out medical treatment and research without any barriers between basic and clinical medicine or interdepartmental barriers
After Kitasato's death, Kitasato University was established in 1962 as a commemorative project for the 50th anniversary of the Kitasato Institute, and the School of Hygienics was opened. Since then, eight faculties have been added, including the School of Pharmacy, the School of Animal Science, the School of Medicine, the School of Marine Sciences, and the School of Nursing.
Kitasato was the first president of the Japan Medical Association. Takemi Taro, who served as president of the Japan Medical Association for a quarter of a century from 1957 (Showa 32), contributed to the establishment of the system of community medical care and the system of occupational physicians assigned to look after the health and safety of workers. Takemi had suffered from kidney disease when he was a student at Kaisei Junior High School and, during his recuperation, was inspired by the way of life of Fukuzawa and Kitasato. After recovering, he transferred to Keio Junior High School and went on to graduate from Keio University School of Medicine.
Kitasato contributed to the promotion of preventive medicine in Japan by promoting the establishment of the Japan Anti-Tuberculosis Association, becoming its president, and serving as the director of the Imperial Gift Foundation Saiseikai Hospital, the chairman of the Central Sanitary Association, and the president of the Dainippon Private Health Association.
Kitasato was fond of writing the calligraphic presentation of the phrase “Consistency from beginning to end” on colored paper. He lived up to his personal motto “Hoiku Sousei” (improving the health of the people), which he advocated in his treatise on medical ethics written while a student at the University of Tokyo, until his death in 1931 at the age of 78.
Aizawa Yoshiharu is a professor emeritus of Kitasato University.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
北里柴三郎の衛生学と社会への貢献
相澤 好治 / 北里大学名誉教授
2025年 3月 31日
衛生学の発展
2024年夏、北里柴三郎の肖像画が新しい千円札に採用された。近代日本医学の基礎を築いただけでなく、世界の医学の発展に大きな貢献をしたことと無縁ではない。
19世紀の欧州では、英国で始まった産業技術革新が全欧州に広がった。各国とも経済的利便を求めて都市に急速な人口集中が起こり、衛生状態が極度に悪化した。その結果、度重なるコレラの流行に見舞われて大量の死者を出した。このような時代に、疾病予防を目的とする医科学である衛生学が、社会を蝕む環境要因の原因究明と対策を実施する学問として発達した。
その源流はドイツのマックス・フォン・ペッテンコーフェル(1818-1901)であり、主に実験的・科学的手法を用いて衛生学の発展に寄与した。一方、同じドイツのロベルト・コッホ(1843-1910)は、1876年炭疽菌、1882年に結核菌を発見し、1884年にコレラ菌を同定して細菌培養法の基礎を確立した。
北里柴三郎の貢献
故郷熊本で蘭医マンスフェルトからドイツ医学を学んだ北里柴三郎(1853-1931)は日本のドイツ医学採用の流れを汲んで、1886年コッホの下に留学した。当時多くの留学生は留学先場所を1，2年で変えて衛生知識の吸収を目指したが、北里は上司の命令に背いてまで6年間コッホの下を去らず、ドイツ留学中の1889年に、今まで誰もなしえなかった破傷風菌の純粋培養を独自の実験器具を用いて成功した。さらに破傷風の症状を起こす原因が菌から発生する毒素であることを確かめ、これを動物に少量から投与して、動物の血清中に抗毒素（抗体）を産生させて、毒素を投与しても症状を起こさなくなることを発見した。破傷風の予防と治療法を発見したことになり、この結果の応用は、同僚ベーリングのジフテリア血清療法の発見による1901年第一回ノーベル生理学・医学賞受賞に繋がった。最近では新型コロナ感染症でも、回復した人の血清を用いて血清療法が行われた。
帰国後、1892年に福澤諭吉の援助で私立の伝染病研究所を創設し、1894年にペスト菌発見など研究を継続し、1899年研究所の国立に移管後も、天然痘ワクチンの製造などの予防活動、結核の治療、講習会による教育活動を続け、国の感染症対策に多大の貢献をした。後進の育成にも努め、後継者となる北島多一、赤痢菌発見者の志賀潔、梅毒の治療薬サルバルサン発明の秦佐八郎等が輩出した。研究の結果を社会還元する実学の精神は、国立伝染病研究所を去って、1914年設立された北里研究所に引き継がれ、イベルメクチンを発明し2015年ノーベル生理学・医学賞を受賞した大村智博士に引き継がれている。
福澤諭吉の死後、1917年慶應義塾創立60周年記念の新学部創立にあたり、福澤諭吉の恩を感じていた北里が中心となって医学科（後に医学部）を創設し初代医学科長に就任した。北里は基礎と臨床、各科の壁をなくした診療、研究を遂行する医学部を目標とした。
北里の死後、1962年北里研究所創立50周年記念事業として、北里大学が開学し、衛生学部を開設した。その後、薬学部、畜産学部、医学部、水産学部、看護学部など8学部が増設されている。
また初代の日本医師会長は北里であり、1957年(昭和32)から四分の一世紀日本医師会長を務めた武見太郎は、地域医療の確立と産業医制度の成立に貢献した。武見は開成中学に腎臓疾患に罹り、療養中に福澤や北里の生き方に触発され回復後、慶應普通部に転学して慶應義塾大学医学部を卒業した。
北里は、日本結核予防会の設立を進めて理事長に就任し、恩賜財団済生会病院長、中央衛生会会長、大日本私立衛生会会頭を務めるなど、日本の予防医学の推進に寄与した。
北里は色紙に「終始一貫」と好んで書いたが、東京大学在学中に著した医道論で主張した「保育蒼生」（国民の健康増進）を1931年、78歳で亡くなるまで生涯にわたり実践した。
筆者は北里大学名誉教授
2024年夏、北里柴三郎の肖像画が新しい千円札に採用された。近代日本医学の基礎を築いただけでなく、世界の医学の発展に大きな貢献をしたことと無縁ではない。
19世紀の欧州では、英国で始まった産業技術革新が全欧州に広がった。各国とも経済的利便を求めて都市に急速な人口集中が起こり、衛生状態が極度に悪化した。その結果、度重なるコレラの流行に見舞われて大量の死者を出した。このような時代に、疾病予防を目的とする医科学である衛生学が、社会を蝕む環境要因の原因究明と対策を実施する学問として発達した。
その源流はドイツのマックス・フォン・ペッテンコーフェル(1818-1901)であり、主に実験的・科学的手法を用いて衛生学の発展に寄与した。一方、同じドイツのロベルト・コッホ(1843-1910)は、1876年炭疽菌、1882年に結核菌を発見し、1884年にコレラ菌を同定して細菌培養法の基礎を確立した。
北里柴三郎の貢献
故郷熊本で蘭医マンスフェルトからドイツ医学を学んだ北里柴三郎(1853-1931)は日本のドイツ医学採用の流れを汲んで、1886年コッホの下に留学した。当時多くの留学生は留学先場所を1，2年で変えて衛生知識の吸収を目指したが、北里は上司の命令に背いてまで6年間コッホの下を去らず、ドイツ留学中の1889年に、今まで誰もなしえなかった破傷風菌の純粋培養を独自の実験器具を用いて成功した。さらに破傷風の症状を起こす原因が菌から発生する毒素であることを確かめ、これを動物に少量から投与して、動物の血清中に抗毒素（抗体）を産生させて、毒素を投与しても症状を起こさなくなることを発見した。破傷風の予防と治療法を発見したことになり、この結果の応用は、同僚ベーリングのジフテリア血清療法の発見による1901年第一回ノーベル生理学・医学賞受賞に繋がった。最近では新型コロナ感染症でも、回復した人の血清を用いて血清療法が行われた。
帰国後、1892年に福澤諭吉の援助で私立の伝染病研究所を創設し、1894年にペスト菌発見など研究を継続し、1899年研究所の国立に移管後も、天然痘ワクチンの製造などの予防活動、結核の治療、講習会による教育活動を続け、国の感染症対策に多大の貢献をした。後進の育成にも努め、後継者となる北島多一、赤痢菌発見者の志賀潔、梅毒の治療薬サルバルサン発明の秦佐八郎等が輩出した。研究の結果を社会還元する実学の精神は、国立伝染病研究所を去って、1914年設立された北里研究所に引き継がれ、イベルメクチンを発明し2015年ノーベル生理学・医学賞を受賞した大村智博士に引き継がれている。
福澤諭吉の死後、1917年慶應義塾創立60周年記念の新学部創立にあたり、福澤諭吉の恩を感じていた北里が中心となって医学科（後に医学部）を創設し初代医学科長に就任した。北里は基礎と臨床、各科の壁をなくした診療、研究を遂行する医学部を目標とした。
北里の死後、1962年北里研究所創立50周年記念事業として、北里大学が開学し、衛生学部を開設した。その後、薬学部、畜産学部、医学部、水産学部、看護学部など8学部が増設されている。
また初代の日本医師会長は北里であり、1957年(昭和32)から四分の一世紀日本医師会長を務めた武見太郎は、地域医療の確立と産業医制度の成立に貢献した。武見は開成中学に腎臓疾患に罹り、療養中に福澤や北里の生き方に触発され回復後、慶應普通部に転学して慶應義塾大学医学部を卒業した。
北里は、日本結核予防会の設立を進めて理事長に就任し、恩賜財団済生会病院長、中央衛生会会長、大日本私立衛生会会頭を務めるなど、日本の予防医学の推進に寄与した。
北里は色紙に「終始一貫」と好んで書いたが、東京大学在学中に著した医道論で主張した「保育蒼生」（国民の健康増進）を1931年、78歳で亡くなるまで生涯にわたり実践した。
筆者は北里大学名誉教授
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟