楠本 イネ　女史
Ms. Ine Kusumoto
1823 - 1903　
長崎県長崎市銅座町　生誕
Born in Nagasaki-city, Nagasaki-ken

「女ながらも一家を興し、名を末の世に残そう」
"Create a wonderful family and leave a lasting name for future generations, even as a woman."

楠本イネ女史は日本人女性初の産科医です。父親であるドイツ人医師シーボルトの弟子達はじめオランダの最先端の医師のもとで積極的に医術を修業して宮内省御用掛の医師となりました。
Ms. Ine Kusumoto was the first Japanese female obstetrician. Disciples of her father, Dr. Philipp Franz von Siebold, a German physician, including those from the forefront of Dutch medicine, actively trained under their guidance and became physicians employed by the Imperial Household Agency.

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イネはドイツ人医師フィリップ・フランツ・フォン・シーボルトと、長崎丸山町遊女たきとの間に生まれます。シーボルトはイネが2歳の時に国外追放となります。イネは男勝りで明朗快活、5歳頃から寺子屋に通いながら、13 歳まで書道や三味線、その後裁縫を習得。市井の人として世に長く生きるのを忌み嫌い、「何としても父上の家業を継いで天下晴れて立身出世して、女ながらも一家を興して名を末の世に残そう」と読書また医術に専心します。14歳からシーボルト門下を訪ねて回ります。四国宇和島藩の二宮敬作から医学の基礎を学び、岡山藩の石井宗謙から産科を学び、岩国藩の大村益次郎からオランダ語を学びます。当時の日本ではお産は汚らわしいものとして不衛生な小屋で隔離されて行われており妊婦や新生児の死亡率は高く、また男性医師の診察を受けたくないために治療が手遅れになった妊婦をたくさん診たことからイネは産科医を志します。そのようなとき、娘の様子を見に来た母たきを見送って帰る船の中で、イネは石井宗謙に強姦されて妊娠、24歳で娘たかと共に郷里に戻り阿部魯庵に産科医術を学びます。2年後たかを母たきに預け、再び二宮敬作の下で蘭学・産科・内科を学びます。29才で二宮敬作とその甥・三瀬周三と共に郷里に戻り医者として開業します。32才のとき、長男アレキサンダーを連れて再来日した父シーボルトと郷里で再会を喜びつつ同居しながら医学を学びます。その間にシーボルトは母お滝・イネが雇った家政婦シオとの間に子をもうけ、イネは深く失望して家を出ます。その間もイネは長崎奉行所西役所医学伝習所でオランダ海軍の軍医ヨハネス・ポンペ・ファン・メーデルフォールト、アントニウス・フランシスクス・ボードウィン、コンスタント・ゲオルグ・ファン・マンスフェルトから最新の産科・病理学を学びます。46人の男性に交じって腑分け（死体解剖実習）にただ一人の女医として臨みます。父シーボルトの帰国後、母たきが亡くなると、異母弟のシーボルト兄弟（兄アレクサンダー・フォン・シーボルト、弟ハインリヒ・フォン・シーボルト）の知己と支援で明治政府の高官や皇室にも知己を得ながら43才で東京築地で産科を開業、大評判となります。さらに福澤諭吉の口添えにより宮内省御用掛となり、明治天皇の女官・葉室光子ならびに側室・葉室光子の第一皇子の出産に立ち会います。1875年に医術開業試験が始まるも男子のみに限定され、イネは東京の医院を閉鎖して帰郷します。同年、イネの下で3年産科の実地を学んでいた福沢諭吉の義理の姉・今泉釖は三田で産婆院を開業します。1884年医術開業試験の門戸が女性にも開かれますが、イネは産婆営業のために新たに必要となった産婆免許観察願いを届け出ます。また父シーボルトの残した鳴滝塾の土地の確保と保存に尽力します。64歳でイネは東京のたかの家族と同居、77歳で永眠します。

Ine Kusumoto was born to the German physician Philipp Franz von Siebold and the Nagasaki prostitute Taki. When Ine was two years old, Siebold was expelled from the country. Ine, who had a strong and cheerful personality, attended a temple school from around the age of five. Until the age of thirteen, she learned calligraphy, shamisen (a traditional Japanese instrument), and later sewing. Disliking the idea of living a regular life among the common people, she dedicated herself to reading and medical studies, determined to succeed in her father's profession and make a name for herself as a woman. Starting at the age of fourteen, she visited Siebold's disciples for training. She learned the basics of medicine from Ninomiya Keisaku of the Uwajima Domain, studied obstetrics under Ishii Munetaka of the Okayama Domain, and learned Dutch from Omura Masujiro of the Iwakuni Domain. At that time in Japan, childbirth was considered impure and was conducted in unsanitary huts. The mortality rates for pregnant women and newborns were high, and many pregnant women received medical attention too late due to their aversion to being examined by male doctors. It was these circumstances that led Ine to aspire to become an obstetrician. During a ship journey where she bid farewell to her mother Taki, who came to see her daughter, Ine was raped by Ishii Munetaka and became pregnant. At the age of 24, she returned to her hometown with her daughter Taka and studied obstetrics under Abe Roan. Two years later, she entrusted Taka to her mother Taki and resumed her studies under Ninomiya Keisaku, focusing on Dutch studies, obstetrics, and internal medicine. At the age of 29, along with Ninomiya Keisaku and his nephew Sanse Mitsuse, she returned to her hometown to practice medicine. At the age of 32, she happily reunited with her father Siebold, who had returned to Japan with his son Alexander, and continued to study medicine while living together. During this time, Siebold had a child with the housekeeper Shio, whom Ine had hired, which deeply disappointed Ine, leading her to leave the house. Even during these events, Ine continued to study the latest obstetrics and pathology at the Nagasaki Magistrate's Office West Medical School, learning from Dutch naval physician Johannes Pompe van Meerdervoort, Antonius Franciscus Baudouin, and Constant Georg van Mansfeldt. Amidst 46 male students, she stood alone as the only female doctor in dissection practice. After her father Siebold's return to his home country and her mother Taki's passing, with the support and connections of her half-brothers Alexander von Siebold and Heinrich von Siebold, she opened an obstetrics practice in Tokyo's Tsukiji at the age of 43. She gained great reputation. She also became a physician for the Imperial Household Agency with the recommendation of Fukuzawa Yukichi, attending the births of Meiji Emperor's female attendant Hoshimuro Mitsuko and her first son. In 1875, medical practice exams began, but they were restricted to men only. In the same year, Imaizumi Tau, Yukichi Fukuzawa's step-sister, who had been studying practical obstetrics in the rice fields for three years, opened a maternity clinic in Mita. Ine closed her Tokyo clinic and returned to her hometown. In 1884, the exams were opened to women, but Ine had to apply for a midwifery license to continue her obstetrics practice. She also worked to secure and preserve the land of Siebold's Narutaki School. At the age of 64, Ine lived with her family in Tokyo. She passed away at the age of 77.

-シーボルト記念館　Siebold Memorial Museum

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