History of the Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae

History of the Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae

Dr. Yoshio Mishima
President of the Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae, and Honorary Professor of the Japan Medical and Dental University

In May 1959, late Dr. Takashi Hayashi, then leading professor of Physiology course of Keio University at that time, had an opportunity to meet Dr. Halpern, Deputy President of the American College of Angiology in the U.S. introduced by a deputy president of a chemicals company. Dr. Halpern asked Dr. Hayashi to establish promptly a connection with Japanese angiology researchers. Responding to the request, Dr. Hayashi had a meeting with late Professor Kazuyoshi Nishimaru who was in charge of the leader of Physiology course at Hiroshima University. Dr. Hayashi and Dr. Nishimaru prepared a plan for establishing the Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae, and listed thirteen organizers for establishing the academy. As a result, the general meeting to establish the Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae was held at the auditorium of Eastern Branch of Keio University on September 30, 1960. That was the birth of the Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae.
According to the prospectus for establishing the Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae, the research of angiology system is conducted separately in individual sectors of anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, medicine, surgeon, dermatology, orthopedics, and others. Currently, however, researchers of a sector have very little communication with those of other sectors. Furthermore, the study results are disclosed only on their own academic bulletins. Consequently, no researcher can overview the total development of the angiology. Under the current state, individual studies may run alone with no information of the state of other research sectors, which may result in self-complacence attitude. There have appeared increasing number of researchers who have anxiety on the status, and, recently in Japan, a movement has occurred to establish close mutual contact among the angiology researchers in both the clinical medical sector and the basic medical sector, thus enhancing the development of the angiology studies.
At that time, the American Angiology Academy requested to establish communication with the researchers of the Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae with an expectation that the Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae should join the International College of Angiology (ICA).
With the background, The Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae asked Dr. Kiyoshi Seki of the First Medicine of the Tokyo University, who was studying at St. Louis University of the U.S., to establish communication with ICA. Dr. Seki met Professor Hertzman, who was a leader of ICA, and received an instruction to attend a meeting of International Union of Angiology (IUA) which was bigger association than ICA. After reported the matter to President Nishimaru, Dr. Seki attended the Fourth International Congress of IUA held at Prague in 1961 as the representative of The Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae. After that, The Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae dispatched staff regularly to the meetings of IUA.
On the other hand, since ICA was an academy centering on old friendly members, and had not so sociable attitude, thus not large number of researchers positively join the meetings of ICA.
Since then, confrontation between old and young generations increased in IUA and also in ICA. And the executive members of each of them were fully changed. The newly organized executive members of IUA and ICA extended approach to The Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae, respectively. After that, the communication between The Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae and IUA and ICA has been maintained.
Many international academies are categorized to two groups: the one has the headquarters in the U.S., and the other has the headquarters in Europe. The history of each group is old, and there is a conflict between these groups. Thus, the name of "International academy" does not necessarily reflect the status of individual academies. Nevertheless, coalition of them is very difficult because each of them has their own case. To this point, however, The Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae hopes that IUA and ICA unify together.
In recent years, the angiology sector has developed toward fine study sectors responding to the general movement, and has established academies of microcirculation, vein, lymph, vascular surgeon, intravascular remedy, etc. Each of thus established academies is operated under independent orientation. It is natural that the development of learning enhances the movement toward finely dividing into individual special fields. It should be, however, also necessary to unify once divided special fields in total view of the learning. In accordance with the original principle, The Collegium Japonicae Angiologicae intend to keep progress as a comprehensive academy of angiology including not only both the basic and clinical sectors but also the medical engineering sector.