Noguchi Hideyo and Shika

(by Kaoru)

Shika & Hideyo

I have visited the Noguchi Hideyo Memorial Hall three times. I am impressed whenever I read Shika's letter to Hideyo which was poorly written.

l read "Toki Rakujitsu" written by Watanabe Jun' ichi. I have found a lot of interesting stories about Hideyo in it. I was surprised at his strong individuality Watanabe writes in his book, "He was very good at borrowing money. He not only borrowed money from his old friends but also from his teacher in his elementary school days. To my surprise, he never paid the money back. What's more, during his stay in Tokyo, he was said to be a womanizer.

He used to spend all the money he got. Once he spent drinking all night with his friends. Despite these faults, I still respect him very much. Hideyo was a great man. He crossed the sea to the United States, Panama, Mexico and Ghana. During his voyage, he studied the language of the country he was going to visit. To my great surprise, it is said that he mastered the language of each country.

Late in his life, he wavered between the research of bacteriology and virology. Hideyo's yellow fever research was criticized by the medical world. In order to prove the results of his research, he went to Ghana. Ironically he was infected with yellow fever there.

At his death bed Hideyo was calling his mother's name and passed away at the age of fifty two. After all, he could not complete his research.

(10/2002)