Nagayoshi Nagai (August 8, 1844 - February 10, 1929) was a notable Japanese chemist, best known for his study of ephedrine. He was born in Tokushima as the son of a doctor and started studying medicine at the Dutch Medical School of Nagasaki (Igaku-Denshusho; also see rangaku) in 1864. He continued his studies in Tokyo and Berlin (1869 and 1871, respectively). While at the University of Berlin, he was influenced by the lectures of von Hofmann and decided to take up chemistry (1873). He pursued an academic career both in Germany and Japan. He passed away in 1929 in Tokyo.

Career

Nagai's professional career:

Scientific contributions:

• Isolation of ephedrine from Ephedra vulgaris in 1885. Nagai recognized it to be the active component of the plant.
• Synthesis and structural elucidation of ephedrine in 1929.
• First president of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan (PSJ, founded in 1880); he had an important impact on the propagation of chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences in an industrializing Japan.

References

• W Pötsch. Lexikon bedeutender Chemiker (VEB Bibliographisches Institut Leipzig, 1989) (ISBN 3-323-00185)
• Pharmaceutical Society of Japan

1844 births | 1929 deaths | Japanese scientists