Abstract
An investigation into the history of colostomies in Japan reviewed 18 references dating before 1903．Findings show that knowledge of colostomies was derived from Western sources,with the oldest Japanese term for artificial anus given as “gikou” dating back to 1832．Knowledge of colostomies appears to have developed considerably by the publication of “Taisei-Meii-Ikou” in 1837,a translation of Dutch studies．The first definitive reference of the performance in Japan of a colostomy is 1892,though there may have been earlier cases．Records show that,by 1910,some several dozens of colostomies had been performed．
