Masayuki Kawamura

Masayuki Kawamura (河村 正之, Kawamura Masayuki^?, May 1, 1878 – July 28, 1933) was a Japanese physician who worked at Kikuchi Keifuen Sanatorium between 1909 and 1933. He was the only physician-director of the sanatorium at its start, while there were officials of the police stations heading other public sanatoriums at their start.

Life and work

Masayuki Kawamura was born in Fukuoka Prefecture on May 1, 1878. He graduated from Tokyo University and later worked at a leprosy hospital. In 1909, he became the first director of Kikuchi Keifuen Sanatorium, on the recommendation of Prof. Masanori Ogata, Department of Sanitary Sciences, Tokyo University, where he had studied. In 1926-7, he travelled to Europe or, more specifically, to Denmark, Fjerritslev, and visited various places including the Bergen Sanatorium in Norway. In 1932, he became Ph.D. at Kumamoto University. He suddenly died of penetrating peritonitis at Tsuetates hot spring in Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28, 1933.

Papers and presentations

The following were by Masayuki Kawamura:

• "The use of Tetrodotoxin in leprosy" (1912). Kawamura M et al. Chizei Ikai Jiho, 141.^[1]
  • It was effective to some degree in neuralgic pain, but not effective in lepromatous leprosy.
• "On the leprosy settlement (Honmyoji buraku) in Kumamoto" (1933). Kawamura M, Uchida M, Shimose H. Repura 4,1,228.^[2]
  • Discussed were various problems such as why leprosy patients gathered there, on the ease of life of leprosy patients. Leprosy patients probably gathered in the Kyoho years or 1716-1735.
• "On the treatment of leprosy as a social problem". Kawamura M, Uchida M. Repura. Kawamra M, et al. Repura, 4,1.^[3]
  • The biggest problem is that even if leprosy clears, the patient has not been treated normally by the presence of leprosy stigma. At present, a clinical complete cure is necessary.
• "Studies on murine leprosy: effects of chaulmoogra oil" (1932). 5th Leprosy Congress at Osaka.
• "Studies on murine leprosy: pathological differences from human leprosy" (1932). 5th Leprosy Congress at Osaka.
• "Studies on murine leprosy: relations betwee the amount of inoculated bacteria and lesions" (1932). 5th Leprosy Congress at Osaka.
• "Studies on murine leprosy: Mitsuda reaction" (1932). 5th Leprosy Congress at Osaka.

Personal life

He was sincere and was popular among leprosy patients. He liked Waka (poetry), Haiku, East Asian calligraphy and drawing pictures and enjoyed waka and haiku with patients. When he died suddenly, patients composed many Bon Buddhist dance songs.

References

Sources

• 100 years of Kikuchi Keifuen (Hyakunen no seiso) (2009), Kikuchi Keifuen.
• 50 years of Kikuchi Keifuen (1960), Kikuchi Keifuen.