A BRIEF UlSTORY UF BOTANY LV OLD JAFA.V 219 



ferent parts of Japan, and discovered many Chinese medicines new to 

 Japan. He was born in 1718 and died in 1776. Among his works a 

 treatise on the cultivation of gingseng in one volume, illustrated des- 

 criptions of Loo choo plants in 15 volumes with 3 supplementary 

 volumes, are most noted. He had two S(5ns, the elder was named 

 Taraura Seiko and the second Kurimoto Zuiken. Seiko was appointed 

 Physician-in-Ordinary to the Tokugawa Shogun. He was n()ted for his 

 profound knowledge of natural histoiy. This saying i)revailed at one 

 time, '• in the west, Banzan; in the east, Seiko," which points to popular 

 belief in the parallelism of the knowledge possessed by these two persons 

 in natural history. His famous work is Dsushftshoto Sanhutsu Dsusetsu, 

 or illustrated descriptions of natural products of the seven isles of Idsu. He 

 died in 1808 at the age of 41. Zuiken was also appointed Physician-in- 

 Ordinary to the Tokugawa Shogun. His attention was inclined toward 

 zoology. His famous works arc Senchu Fu, or descriptions of a thousand 

 insects, and Hyakucho Pu, or descriptions of a hundred birds. His know- 

 ledge of ichthyology was also very deep. He died in 1837 at the age of 79. 

 He had the opportunity of making the acquaintance of Phillip Franz 

 von Siebold who came to Yedo in 1826. 



Zuiken taught natural history to Manase Futan, ObuchiYugen, and 

 Kurimoto Hoan. These three persons survived till the early part of the 

 Meiji era. Manase Futan coujpiled a book consisting of illustrated descrip- 

 tions of flowering plants. Cbuchi Yiigen publ ished a treatise on musk deer 

 in 1859. Kurimoto H5an had diplomatic talents, and was appointed 

 ambassador to ]:''rance in 1867, and collected plants in the Swiss Alps. 



In 1638, gardens of medicinal plants were established in 

 two places in Yedo, one in Azabu and the other in Otsuka. In 

 1681, the botanic garden of Otsuka was annexed to the Azabu 

 garden, and in 1684, the Azabu garden was removed to Koishikawa 

 where it still continues at the present day; perhaps this is the oldest 

 botanic garden in the Pacific regions. In 1720, another botanic garden 

 of medicinal ]»lants was established in Komaba in the suburb of Yedo. 

 This continued till the beginning of the Meiji era. At these early dates 

 the Tokugawa government possessed still more medicinal plant gardens, 

 for example, one in Nagasaki, one in Kyoto, and another in Shizuoka, 

 and cultivated the niediciiial plants of Chinese and Korean origin 

 together with those of native origin. 



Theexplorati(<nof the n.'itnral products of Japan with special regard to 

 the materia medica and plants available in case of scarcity was undertaken 



