Masasue Suho
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese physician, the director of the Sorok Island Sanatorium in Korea
. He completed the world's biggest leprosy facility Sorok Island Sanatorium hospitalizing 6000 patients. He was assassinated by a patient while rushing to a morning ceremony. Forced segregation of leprosy patients, inhumane treatments towards patients, and antipathy against colonial rule were behind the assassination.
on October 8, 1885. After attending the Aichi Prefectural Medical College (Now Nagoya University
) and becoming a physician, he worked at various institutions. He studied the art of architecture at a night school.
on rabbit intestines from Kyoto Imperial University Kyoto University
. In 1926 and 1927 he travelled around the world inspecting health conditions.
(1910). In 1916, the Japanese Government established a hospital in Sorok Island and hospitalized 100 patients. In 1933, Suho assumed the director and started to establish a big sanatorium. He himself worked with the planning, buying of construction materials and construction works. He forced the patients to work in the construction. He also made a statue of himself in the island and forced the patients to worship the statue. Forced segregation of leprosy patients was conducted with the help of some Korean bosses in Korea; in Japan Proper, patients were hospitalized in tens of patients, but in Korea, it was in hundreds of patients at times.
, Kiyoshi Shiga
, Tadao Toda, Matsuki Miyazaki
and other noted scholars attended the congress.
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. He completed the world's biggest leprosy facility Sorok Island Sanatorium hospitalizing 6000 patients. He was assassinated by a patient while rushing to a morning ceremony. Forced segregation of leprosy patients, inhumane treatments towards patients, and antipathy against colonial rule were behind the assassination.
The pronunciation of Suho
The Japanese pronunciation is better described as soo-oh, and Suho is described in a reference.In Japan
He was born in Shiga PrefectureShiga Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan, which forms part of the Kansai region on Honshu Island. The capital is the city of Ōtsu.- History :Shiga was known as Ōmi Province or Gōshū before the prefectural system was established...
on October 8, 1885. After attending the Aichi Prefectural Medical College (Now Nagoya University
Nagoya University
Nagoya University is one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. It can be seen in the several rankings such as shown below.-General Rankings:...
) and becoming a physician, he worked at various institutions. He studied the art of architecture at a night school.
In Korea
In 1921, he went to Korea and became the health section chief of the police, and was engaged in the treatment of narcotic patients. He studied at the Keijyo Imperial UniversitySeoul University and received the Ph.D. with papers on the effects of morphineMorphine
Morphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
on rabbit intestines from Kyoto Imperial University Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
. In 1926 and 1927 he travelled around the world inspecting health conditions.
Leprosy Control in Korea under Japanese Occupation
There were about 15,000-20,000 leprosy patients chiefly in the southern parts of Korean Peninsula. There were 3 sanatoriums run by foreigners at the time of annexationAnnexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
(1910). In 1916, the Japanese Government established a hospital in Sorok Island and hospitalized 100 patients. In 1933, Suho assumed the director and started to establish a big sanatorium. He himself worked with the planning, buying of construction materials and construction works. He forced the patients to work in the construction. He also made a statue of himself in the island and forced the patients to worship the statue. Forced segregation of leprosy patients was conducted with the help of some Korean bosses in Korea; in Japan Proper, patients were hospitalized in tens of patients, but in Korea, it was in hundreds of patients at times.
The 14th Congress of the Japanese Leprosy Association
In 1940, the 14th Congress o f the Japanese Leprosy Association was held under Suho's presidency. Kensuke MitsudaKensuke Mitsuda
was a Japanese leprologist and director of the Tama Zenshoen Sanatorium and the National Sanatorum Nagashima Aiseien. He had been at the frontier of leprosy policy of Japan. He was given the Order of Cultural Merits and Damien-Dutton Award...
, Kiyoshi Shiga
Kiyoshi Shiga
was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist.-Biography:Shiga was born in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, though his original family name was Satō. He graduated from the Medical School of Tokyo Imperial University in 1896 and went to work at the Institute for the Study of Infectious Diseases under Dr....
, Tadao Toda, Matsuki Miyazaki
Matsuki Miyazaki
was a Japanese medical doctor, the director of the Kyushu Sanatorium in Kumamoto, Japan. He studied war and leprosy and found that stress was a great factor in the development of leprosy. He later established a leprosy center belonging to Japan Leprosy Mission of Asia, in India...
and other noted scholars attended the congress.
Death
- On the morning of June 20, 1942, while he was walking to a morning ceremony, he was stabbed to death by a Korean patient. There was a record of TV interviews in 1997 by TBS, Japan
- "A man standing near me concealed his hands under clothes, it was summer and hot. He grasped the neck of Suho and stabbed him with bandaged hands. We were horrified thinking we would be killed.
- "For the building of his statue, we had to pay. We were forced to pay tribute to Shinto Shrine (Japanese custom). There were some who resisted and said that we could not do, because we were Christians. Some of them died in a prison."
- "Suho was an able administrator. He stored much food, and made agricultural machines available. However, I received an operation of sterilization. It was a cruel surgery. I would have been committed suicide, if I were not a Christian.