Tokyo Council of Hospital Pharmacists in the Meiji Period

Abstract

There are three reports describing which, what, and how pharmacists did their work in hospital pharmacies in the Meiji Period (Horioka and Tsuruoka: 1971, 1977; Horiguchi: 2008). In this study, the author investigated Tokyo Byoin Yakuzaishi Kyogikai (Tokyo Council of Hospital Pharmacists) during that period. The following books, journals, and materials were used: Yakuzaishi, Yakugaku Zasshi, Farumashia, Chronicle of Japan Pharmaceutical Association (1973), and materials from the Tokyo Metropolitan Archives and National Diet Library Digital Collection. The Tokyo Council of Hospital Pharmacists (TCHP) was founded in 1896 by Dr. Tokichiro Niwa, and was staffed with hospital pharmacists from the city of Tokyo. TCHP hosted events, lectures, and meetings several times a year. Through TCHP, Dr. Niwa created a network of hospital pharmacists and increased their knowledge of modern pharmacy and skills.