Saneyoshi Yasuzumi

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Saneyoshi Yasuzumi (実吉 安純) was born on March 20, 1848, in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, and died on March 1, 1932. He was a pioneer of naval medicine in Meiji-era Japan and rose to become an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy.

He joined the medical corps in 1871 and began serving with the Navy in 1872. He moved up the ranks, becoming lieutenant in 1876 and lieutenant commander in 1878. From 1879 to 1885, he studied in the United Kingdom to learn the latest maritime medical techniques. After returning, he became a commander and an instructor at the Naval Medical Academy, was promoted to captain in 1886, and led the Naval Medical School from 1889 to 1891. In 1892 he was promoted to rear admiral. He wrote a major work on naval medicine during the First Sino-Japanese War, The Surgical & Medical History of the Naval War between Japan & China during 1894–95, which was translated into English and is held by Harvard University library.

On May 9, 1900, he was made a baron (danshaku) under the kazoku system. Later in 1900 he traveled to Europe to study medical techniques in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Austria and Russia. After returning, he retired from active service and served in the House of Peers from 1905 to 1907. In September of an unspecified year, his title was raised to viscount (shishaku) for his contributions to Japanese medicine. He was later honored as a vice admiral in 1919 as an honorary title after leaving active reserves. He helped found Jikei University School of Medicine and served as its dean from 1920 to 1921. He died in 1932.