Summary

   A book of anatomy.
   The first translated book on Western scientific study in Japan
   Consisting of 4 volumes and 1 separate volume of pictures and charts.

   The original book was written in German "Anatomische Tabellen (the third edition)". Later it was translated into Dutch, named "Ontleekundige Tafelen" in 1734. This Dutch version was brought to Japan. The original German book was wrongly called in Japan "Tahel Anatomia."
   In 1771, three doctors, Sugita Genpaku, Maeno Ryotaku, and Nakagawa Ryouan, observed the anatomy of a female prisoner at the Odawara Prison, and they were astonished how precisely the book describes the human body. They made a great effort to translate the book, and in the process, they had to overcome the difficulty of the language but finally they accomplished its translation in 1774; they had spent as long as three and a half years doing the translation and it was revised 11 times to make the final edition. We can know about their contributions on the book "The Beginning of Western Study."
   This is a memorial book that made the beginning of the development of western studies in Japan.
   (source: Encyclopedia Britannica International)

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