Abstract

Volume.122 Number.9

A Review

Tadaoki Hosokawa and Ophthalmology at the Early Edo Period
Hidenobu Tanihara
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University

Tadaoki Hosokawa, a samurai warrior who was active from the Sengoku period (the Warring States period) to the early Edo period, suffered from an eye condition that burdened him in his final years because of declining visual function. Many records of Tadaoki's eye condition remain in the historical records of the Hosokawa family in the Kumamoto Domain, in letters written by Tadaoki himself, in missives from his retainers, and in tangible cultural property. After undergoing examinations by several ophthalmologists, Tadaoki was diagnosed with sokohi (previous Japanese name for intraocular disease). However, it is believed that, ultimately, Tadaoki's condition gradually worsened despite undergoing surgery based on Majima School's method of ophthalmological treatment. In this review, we discuss the state of ophthalmology in the early Edo period, with a focus on Tadaoki's eye condition.
Nippon Ganka Gakkai Zasshi (J Jpn Ophthalmol Soc) 122: 675-684, 2018.

Key words
Edo period, Tadaoki Hosokawa, Eye condition, Sokohi, Majima School
Reprint requests to
Hidenobu Tanihara, M.D., Ph.D. Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University. 1-1-1 Honjo, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto-shi 860-8556, Japan