KAMEI Nanmei-His Personality and Achievements / 日本東洋医学雑誌

ABSTRACT

KAMEI Nanmei was a Confucian scholar-physician of chivalrous spirit. In his adolescent days, he admired and followed NAGATOMI Dokushoan's thought, and this helped him develop a strikingly individual personality. HIROSE Tanso, one of his disciples, related that Kamei was so dedicated and broadminded that he fostered and nurtured the latent talents of others. He also was a man of courage.<br>In 1778, Kamei was assigned the position of official medical doctor of the Fukuoka feudal clan, and served the clan lord as a lecturer-advisor, due to his marvelous achievements and reputation among the local citizens as a medical practitioner. His faithful service brought him opportunities for further promotion, and in 1783 he finally assumed the honorable position of Director of Kantokan (an educational institute for clan youth). These successes and achievements in Kamei's career, however, were by no means welcomed by his rivals at the KAIBARA Ekiken school. Kamei belonged to another leading school, the OGYU-Sorai. A severe contention for superiority developed between the two rival schools, and finally Kamei was defeated and sentenced to imprisonment for life in 1792.<br>This article discusses Kamei's thoughts and his efforts in writing the book, “Rongo-goyu, ” which was intended to explore and impart the genuine, orthodox teachings of Confucianism.