Western medicine as a stimulant of scientific progress in Tokugawa Japan.

Abstract

Until the 17th century, Japan was almost exclusively influenced by the Chinese medical tradition. A brief experience with European medicine was interrupted in the mid-17th century by edicts that isolated the country from outside world. However, thanks to the Dutch presence in Nagasaki, some Japanese intellectuals maintained contact with Western physicians. Thanks to them, the latest medical publications and textbooks gradually spread to Japan. This intellectual exchange led to a surge of interest in new discoveries and stimulated the development of scientific research. Medicine thus played a crucial role in Japan's subsequent modernization.