著者

内野 滋雄

出版者

日本医学哲学・倫理学会

雑誌

医学哲学 医学倫理 (ISSN:02896427)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.15, pp.157-166, 1997-09-20 (Released:2018-02-01)

---

The history of dissection in Japan began in 1754 when Toyo Yamawaki dissected first in Kyoto. Later, many human bodies were dissected in various parts of the country during the Edo era, but all the cadavers were those that had been executed or died in a prison. The people at that time had a dark image that the dissection was performed on sinners. In the second year of Meiji, a thirty-four year old woman named Miki donated her body. She wished to be dissected after her death with her own will. Hers was the first body donation in Japan. Until World War II, cadavers devoted to the medical education were mostly from criminals, as in the Edo era. As, however, the human rights movement spreading throughout the country, it became difficult to obtain and dissect such cadavers and they became extremely short supply. After 1955, groups promoting body donation were formed in order to make up for the shortage of cadavers all over the country. Initially the groups were formed only to supplement the number of cadavers. But after 1975, donors became to think that it is their great contribution to the medical education and they can participate themselves in educating ethical and humanistic medical doctors even after they die.