MEDICAL STUDIES ON THE RURAL PEOPLE (II) A STUDY ON THE INCIDENCE OF STRUMA IN THE SOUTH-WESTERN RURAL DISTRICTS OF OKAYAMA PREFECTURE, JAPAN

The author investigated the thyroid glands of 1480 school children (aged from 6 to 14) living in the vicinity of Yakage, the south-western rural district of Okayama Prefecture, and 1516 out-patients of Yakage Hospital, in 1950. The incidence of struma among the school children was 4.6 per cent and among the out-patients 4.7% on an average, and the percentage of struma in the spring (7.8%) was higher than in the summer (2.98%). This result suggests that thyroid glands are in some way susceptible to seasonal influences, and it is therefore necessary to consider the effect of season during investigation. The white blood pictures of seven patients showed no specific findings

SEASONAL VARIATION OF GASTRIC ACIDITY

Since, in Japan situated in the temperate zone, climatic change through the four seasons of a year is regular, it is expected that there the physiological reactions of the human body may vary regularly in accordance with the climatic change. In fact, we experience that the attacks of diseases and their conditions are in close connection with the changes of the seasons. The author investigated the effect of the seasons upon the human gastric acidity, by means of the coffein-test, in 580 cases with gastrointestinal disorders, at the Misasa Branch Hospital of Okayama University, Misasa Spa in Tottori Prefecture, in 1946～1946. Hyperacidity was verified in 194 (33%) of 580 cases, normacidity in 134 (23%), anacidity in 138 (24%) and hypacidity in 114 (20%). The percentage of hyperacidity increases in winter (41%), decreases in spring (32%) and in summer (28%), and increases again in autumn (34%). The cases of anacidity decrease in winter and spring, but increase in summer. In chi-square test, the season and the acidity of gastric juice were taken as factors of variation. The chi-square was computed with the result: Pr {X(3)=14.013 5.412} =2%. It is thus verified that the cases of hyperacidity predominate over those of anacidity-hypacidity in winter, while the relation is reverse in summer. As was mentioned above, the tendency is obvious that the acidity of gastric juice decreases in summer and increases in winter. It was found that there is a regular seasonal variation in gastric acidity

STUDIES ON VITRIOL SPRINGS (3) EFFECT OF THE INTERNAL USE OF VITRIOL WATER OF FUJINO ON THE GASTRIC ACIDITY

Fujino Spring is the foremost acid vitriol spring of Japan in ferrous and ferric ion contents. Six years ago the author reported that its internal use had an remarkable hemopoietic effect on hypochromic anemia and delayed the curve of alimentary hyperglycemia in rabbit. Twenty ml. of this vitriol water was diluted with plain water to two hundred ml. and was given to twenty one patients by stomach tube at 37°C. Gastric acidity of the patients was measured at 30 minutes intervals during the following 150 minutes after the administration of the water. In six cases of normal acidity no significant difference was proved between the effects of the mineral water and of caffein control (0.2g. in 200 ml.). In six cases of hyperacidity it seemed that the vitriol water decreased in the acidity curve compared with control. In nine patients of hypo- and anacidity both free and total acidity curve was elevated by the use of the mineral water compared with caffein control. The internal use of Fujino Spring in moderate dilution with plain water regulated the gastric acidity

STUDIES ON BALNEOTHERAPY OF DIABETES MELLITUS (Ⅱ). EFFECT OF INTERNAL USE OF GERO HOT SPRING ON THE ALIMENTARY HYPERGLYCEMIA IN ALLOXAN-DIABETIC RABBITS

The author investigated the effect of the internal use of the hot spring water of Gero (Gifu Prefecture, Japan), which contained Cl' 167 mg./L., HCO(3)' 66.0 mg./L. and　titrated sulphur 0.6 mg./L. (pH: 6.2) at the time of this experiment, upon the alimentary hyperglycemia in alloxan－diabetic rabbits. 1. The author injected alloxan of 150 mg. per kg. of body weight intravenously into normal rabbits and performed the experiment 5～6 weeks after the　injection. At the time of the experiment, the fasting blood sugar levels of alloxan-diabetic rabbits ranged from　107 to 211 mg./dl. (170 mg./dl. on the average). 2. Thirty　ml. of 10% glucose solution in thermal water or in plain water per kg. of body weight was administered to the rabbits by stomach tube, and blood sugar level was determined before and 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 hours after the administration. The rejection interval (5%) of the glucose tolerance in 17 normal rabbits is shown in Fig. Ⅰ. Glucose tolerance curves of these alloxan-diabetic rabbits　were out of the limit of the normal range. 3. Gero Hot Spring water had no inhibitory action upon the alimentary hyperglycemia of alloxan-diabetic rabbits

Medical studies on the rural people (3). Incidence rate of hypertension in rural districts, Tottori Prefecture, Japan

The authors examined the blood pressure levels of 5, 358 out-patients of Branch Hospital of Okayama University Hospital, Tottori Prefecture, during the four-year period, from April, 1957 to March, 1961. The following results were obtained: I. The incidence of hypertension with a systolic blood pressure over 150 mmHg was 20.5% (1,093 cases of 5,358). 2. Patients with hypertension over 40 years of age was 35.9% in male and 41.5% in female. Females showed a higher incidence than males and the incidence rate of hypertension increased with age. 3. There was a tendency in the incidence rate of patients with hypertension decreased in summer and increased in cold seasons

On climatology in Misasa Spa (Fifth Report)

われわれは1956年1月以降,三朝温泉地の気候要素の観測を行ってきているが,今回は第5報として,1975年1月1日から1977年12月31日までの3カ年の気象観測の資料を報告することとした.Climatological data of the last three years (1975-1977) obtained at the observatory in the Branch Hospital of Okayama University Hospital at Misasa Spa, Tottori-ken, are presented

On climatology in Misasa Spa (fourth report)

われわれは1956年1月以降,三朝温泉地の気候要素の観測を行ってきているが,今回は第4報として,1972年1月1日から1974年12月31日までの3カ年の気象観測の資料を報告することとした.Climatological data of the last three years (1972-1974) obtained at the observatory in the Branch Hospital of Okayama University Hospital at Misasa Spa, Tottori-ken, are presented