Visit to Ōno (1853)

[Source: Hakushinki, pp. 200-201; translated by Maren Ehlers]

(Dispensing with the preliminaries) One needle for vaccinations is included. I told [the physicians in Ōno] that I was manufacturing needle tips here, so they should please let me know if they needed any of these.

On a separate sheet:

Postscript: I want to use this opportunity to convey some confidential information. There is a rumor that a man named something like Koyama Yōju has been conducting vaccinations in Ota village, within your domain, since last year. Has your association shared the vaccine with this man? Also, is this a person sufficiently capable of distinguishing between true and false pocks? I would like to hear your response as soon as is convenient just to make sure. I am assuming there must be controls in place to ensure that no one practices unauthorized vaccinations in your domain, following our previous agreement, so this may not be worth inquiring about in advance. But these are all remote villages and difficult to reach, and it is the way of the world that all kinds of things tend to happen, soI am concerned for the sake of our profession. Please do not take this the wrong way. Yours respectfully.

1st month, 27th day addressed to Nakamura Taisuke Hayashi Unkei

Anonymous [Kasahara]

With regard to this matter, Naitō Dōitsu from Itō village in Sabae domain had informed me [Kasahara] by letter at the beginning of the year that this Koyama Yōju had secretly stolen Dōitsu’s vaccine and was conducting vaccinations.When Dōitsu pressed him on the matter, Yōju visited him to introduce himself and said that he was indeed conducting vaccinations. He said that he was sorry and asked for forgiveness for secretly having taken the vaccine by having a person come in contact with it, and he requested an official transmission. Recently, Dōitsu then came tome in person and asked me how he should respond. I told him that as the man had not made any amends for his mistake and was still conducting vaccinations, it would not do for him to just get in touch. I said that Dōitsu should deal with Yōju by telling him that once he brought his vaccinations to a complete stop and then got in touch again, Dōitsu would respond to him after consulting with Fukui [i.e., Kasahara].

[rest of entry omitted]

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