His life

Buntaro Adachi (1865–1945) was a Japanese doctor, anatomist, and anthropologist (Fig. 1a) [1]. He was born on June 15, 1865, in Izu [1, 2]. He studied medicine with the support and guidance of his uncle. Adachi graduated from the Tokyo Imperial University (now Tokyo University) when he was 29 years old in 1894 [1]. In 1895, he began teaching at Okayama University School of Medicine. He continued his studies at the University of Strasbourg between 1899 and 1904 [3]. He was appointed as professor of anatomy (1904) and anthropology (1919) at Kyoto Imperial University when he returned to Japan and studied there until his retirement in 1925 [4]. Although Adachi has studied many anatomical variations, he has focused particularly on vascular anatomy [3]. He compared Japanese to European races in his research [2]. Adachi died of brain hemorrhage at the age of 80 in 1945, in Kyoto. It is said that he was working at his desk when he died [1].

Fig. 1
figure 1

a Buntaro Adachi (1865–1945). b Title page of Das Arteriensystem der Japaner Band 1. c Title page of Das Arteriensystem der Japaner Band 2. d Title page of Das Venensystem der Japaner. e Title page of Das Lymphgefässsystem der Japaner

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His works

After intense studies, Das Arteriensystem der Japaner (Fig. 1b, c) published in 1928 and Das Venensystem der Japaner (Fig. 1d) published in 1933. His student Takusaburo Kihara continued the work of Adachi after his death and published the book Das Lymphgefässsystem der Japaner (Fig. 1e) in 1953. These works were published in German [3].

Tubbs et al. [5] stated that Das Arteriensystem der Japaner is still regarded as a masterpiece of vascular anatomy. In addition, Olry and Lellouch [3] stated that the number of dissections made by Adachi made this work an indispensable reference in the field of arterial system anatomy and is still a unique work. Although this work is very valuable, Olry and Lellouch [3] reported that Adachi’s book is hard to find.

Das Arteriensystem der Japaner has been published in two volumes (Fig. 1b, c). It is remarkable that Adachi had expressed his gratitude to Yoshikiyo Kooanei, who was his teacher in Tokyo, in the first pages of the first volume. He examined the arteries between the pulmonary artery/aorta and deep palmar arch in the first volume and the arteries between the thoracic aorta and the plantar arch in the second volume. Adachi stated that there are 330 drawing, 3 color layers, and approximately 330 table in this book. Some of these pictures are shown in Fig. 2. Adachi reported that chapter about the cerebral arteries in the book was written by Kotondo Hasebe. In this section, 83 cerebral arteries (59 male and 24 female) were examined by Kotondo Hasebe. These arteries of all cases were shown in the book with drawings (Fig. 3 and Cover).

Fig. 2
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Some drawings in the book named Das Arteriensystem der Japaner

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Fig. 3 and Cover
figure 3

The drawings about cerebral arteries in Das Arteriensystem der Japaner

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Adachi won the Imperial Prize for his work on the Japanese system of studies on the arterial system in 1930 [4]. He was also elected as a member of the German National Academy of Sciences (the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina) in 1941 [6].

Conclusion

Buntaro Adachi, who has left important works that are still important today, should be appreciated for his studies.