Hajime Hosokawa
Encyclopedia
was director of the company hospital attached to the Chisso corporation
's chemical factory in Minamata, Kumamoto prefecture
, Japan
. He was the first doctor to discover and treat patients of the massive outbreak of mercury poisoning
that occurred in the town which became known as Minamata disease
.
Chisso
The is a Japanese chemical company. It is particularly well known as a supplier of liquid crystal used for LCD displays.Chisso is also known for its thirty-four year long contamination of the water supply in Minamata, Japan that led to thousands of deaths and victims of disease...
's chemical factory in Minamata, Kumamoto prefecture
Kumamoto Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyushu Island. The capital is the city of Kumamoto.- History :Historically the area was called Higo Province; and the province was renamed Kumamoto during the Meiji Restoration. The creation of prefectures was part of the abolition of the feudal system...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. He was the first doctor to discover and treat patients of the massive outbreak of mercury poisoning
Mercury poisoning
Mercury poisoning is a disease caused by exposure to mercury or its compounds. Mercury is a heavy metal occurring in several forms, all of which can produce toxic effects in high enough doses...
that occurred in the town which became known as Minamata disease
Minamata disease
', sometimes referred to as , is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. Symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing and speech. In extreme cases, insanity, paralysis, coma, and death...
.
Timeline
- 23 September 1901, born in MikameMikame, Ehimewas a town located in Nishiuwa District, Ehime, Japan.On April 1, 2004 Mikame was merged with the towns of Akehama, Nomura, Shirokawa and Uwa, all from Higashiuwa District, to form the new city of Seiyo....
village, Nishiuwa-gun, Ehime prefectureEhime Prefectureis a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
. - 1927 Graduates from Tokyo University medical department.
- 1936 Joins and is attached to the hospital of the Agochi factory on the Korean peninsularKorea under Japanese ruleKorea was under Japanese rule as part of Japan's 35-year imperialist expansion . Japanese rule ended in 1945 shortly after the Japanese defeat in World War II....
. - 1941 Appointed director of the Minamata factory hospital.
- 1941 Assumes a new post as a field surgeon in Burma.
- 1947 Demobilizes and returns to work at the Minmata factory hospital.
- 1950 The occupying forcesOccupied JapanAt the end of World War II, Japan was occupied by the Allied Powers, led by the United States with contributions also from Australia, India, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This foreign presence marked the first time in its history that the island nation had been occupied by a foreign power...
order the dissolution of the zaibatsuZaibatsuis a Japanese term referring to industrial and financial business conglomerates in the Empire of Japan, whose influence and size allowed for control over significant parts of the Japanese economy from the Meiji period until the end of World War II.-Terminology:...
, including the Japan Nitrogenous Fertilizer Company. A successor company, is founded. - 1 May 1956 Reports the discovery of an "epidemic of an unknown disease of the central nervous system" to the Minamata local health office, marking the official discovery of Minamata diseaseMinamata disease', sometimes referred to as , is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. Symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing and speech. In extreme cases, insanity, paralysis, coma, and death...
. - May 1957 Begins experimenting on cats in an effort to determine the cause of the disease. Factory wastewaterWastewaterWastewater is any water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence. It comprises liquid waste discharged by domestic residences, commercial properties, industry, and/or agriculture and can encompass a wide range of potential contaminants and concentrations...
is included in the cats' food. - October 1959 "Cat 400" exhibits signs of mercury poisoningMercury poisoningMercury poisoning is a disease caused by exposure to mercury or its compounds. Mercury is a heavy metal occurring in several forms, all of which can produce toxic effects in high enough doses...
. Hosokawa is convinced the factory's wastewater is the cause of Minamata diseaseMinamata disease', sometimes referred to as , is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning. Symptoms include ataxia, numbness in the hands and feet, general muscle weakness, narrowing of the field of vision and damage to hearing and speech. In extreme cases, insanity, paralysis, coma, and death...
but under persuasion from the company, these results are not published. - 1962 Retires from the company and returns home to Ehime prefectureEhime Prefectureis a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
- 1970 Hospitalised with lung cancerLung cancerLung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. While hospitalised he is interrogated for a judicial proceeding regarding Minamata disease and testifies to the concealment of the experimental results of "Cat 400". - 13 October 1970 Dies at the age of 69.