臺灣總督明石元二郎的東臺灣巡視與罹病初探

日治時期臺灣第七任總督明石元二郎在臺任期雖僅一年多，但相較於其他臺灣總督，不但廉潔奉公，且在教育令頒布、司法革新、交通建設、林野整理保護等方面皆有不俗表現，更重要者乃遺言葬於臺灣，故後世評價不低。時人皆論明石有更好遠景，然由於病逝任內，不能更上一層，殊爲可惜。今透過典藏於日本國立公文書館《公文餘錄》中攸關明石發病之電報資料與《明石元二郎》、《臺灣日日新報》等材料，發現明石本好菸酒甜食，而在大正8(1919)年5月底開始的東臺灣巡視，由於強渡花東地區之浸水營山地、淋雨視察，加上腸胃疾病與旅途勞累等因，終導致流行性感冒併發肺炎。此後，明石身體時好時壞，長期在官邸修養，即便有醫師群的隨侍診治，加上全島仕紳官民的祈福等，然藥劑仍注射不斷，雖一度能至官邸近郊北投溫泉區「泡湯」，但身體始終未臻康健。最後，在「轉地療養」返回日本福岡時，於信濃丸輪船上再度發病，最終因腦溢血而過世，享年五十六歲。

關鍵字

明石元二郎；公文餘錄；臺灣總督；東臺灣

並列摘要

The seventh Taiwanese Governor-General under Japanese rule, Akashi Motojirou, had been much praised because of his probity and great earnestness in deal with the official affairs, such as enacting the ”Taiwan Education Act”, the jurisdiction reform, infrastructure improvement, and the forests protection. What a great will he made he will be buried in Taiwan, so he got an honorable praise. Unfortunately, Akashi could not hold his position for a longer time owing to the influenza. According to the Japanese archives and many kinds of materials like newspaper and biography, we can find that the main reason why Akashi got the sick was tired when he inspected the eastern Taiwan in 1919. On that journey, he got enteritis at first, then pneumonia in the rain while he crossed the huge mountain areas during two days. After then, Akashi's health was going to worse, although many doctors given him better cure, and he took long term recuperation as well, people on the island prayed for his health, his physical crisis didn't relieved in the long run. Deciding the transfer aftercare to Fukuoka, hometown of Akashi, he left Taiwan permanently. On the steamboat sailing to Japan, Akashi suddenly fainted and revived no more. Finally, he died of cerebral apoplexy, age 56.