[Rituals for the dissected in pre-modern Japan].

This paper examines what kinds of bodies were utilized as cadavers in the dissections for medical studies in the Edo period and how researchers treated them, through analyzing the memorial addresses delivered at the Buddhist altar by researchers. At present, 5 texts are known as memorial addresses for the dissected: 1. from a group led by Yamawaki Toyo to Kutsuka (male) in 1754, 2. and 3. from a group led by Kuriyama Koan to Chyubei (male) and Yasuke (male) respectively in 1789 and in 1815, 4. from a company of Komori Tou to Norimichi (male) in 1821, and 5. from the members of Saisei-kan to Noe (female) and an unknown person (male) in 1861. All the cadavers were the bodies of executed felons. It was true that researchers bestowed their highest possible praise on them at the rituals; on the other hand they treated them as bodies. Strictly speaking, the rituals for the dissected in the Edo period were not identical with those of today.