This Day in History: 1956-05-01

Controversy over Minamata disease begins on this day in 1956 with a medical disclosure in the seaside city of Minamata, Japan.  The neurological disease stuck quickly, according to the doctor who spoke out on the environmental problem,  Dr. Hajime Hosokawa.  The disease first affected with cats, then older humans, then children and newborns. Uncontrolled twitching, convulsions and screaming are among the symptoms. Hosokawa and others suspected the Chisso Chemical Corp.  (They were right. Chisso had been dumping large quantities of waste mercury into the bay).  But Minamata disease was mostly ignored by the news media until the 1970s. It became  an international symbol of industrial recklessness with toxic chemicals, especially after Life Magazine printed photos of victims by W. Eugene Smith in June of 1972. These included the photo, above, of Tomoko Uemura’s hand, and another very famous photo of Tomoko in the bath. There is a controversy about displaying the more visually striking photo of Tomoko in the bath, and the controversy is described here. In retaliation for his work, Smith was badly beaten by thugs from Chisso and struggled with his health for the remaining few years of his life.