In the long history of man this is a most important period as it is the time during which the question whether or not man will be able to continue to exist peacefully over the next hundred years will be determined. In Japan also, now is the time which will determine whether or not we can continue to maintain the prosperity we enjoy today as country.
In this unstable state of the world the question of what is essential for the people of this small country lacking in natural resources to manage is probably being discussed from various points of view, political, economic, scientific, etc. From the medical point of view, I believe one of the most important topics is the problem of the aged. At the present the life span of the Japanese is nearly the greatest in the world, second only to that of Iceland. This is of course semething for which we are grateful however the average age of our nations is increasing more rapidly than anywhere in the world. In the next 50 years 1 in every 5 persons will be 65 years of age or older. This is a very serious problem.
In the future Japanese society it shall be necessary that man regardless of his age should maintain his health and a reason to go on living such that he remains a contributing member of society.
Based on these premises I'd like to discuss the following topics, introducing also areas of my own research.
1. Change of age-pattern of our nation
2. Until what age can man live?
3. What is longevity?
4. Measures for the maintenance of the health of aged-psycological aspects, daily life, diet, etc.

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In what condition are the needles which are being sold by the manufacturers? In order to answer this question I have thus far twice reported on the conditions of the needle points and bodies and one time on the length and thickness coditions.
Method of Study and Results
I forewarned needle makers that I would publish the results of my investigation upon once more studying the needles. Then using the total of 950 stainless steel 1.6TSUN, No. 3 needles collected, actually measured the lengths and diameters of the needles. Results showed that the overall average length of the 1.6TSUN needle was 67.343mm. with a standard deviation of 0.188mm. and a 0.88mm. scatter area. The needles of the longest maker averaged 68.594mm., those of the shortest, 66.698mm. with and average difference in length of 1.896mm.
Comparing those with the previously obtained results it was found that while the needle lengths had increased by an average of 0.105mm. the range of standard deviation and scatter area had decreased.
The overall average diameter of the No. 3 needle was 0.1983mm. with a standard deviation of 1.1464μ and a scatter area of 0.005mm. The needles of the thickest maker averaged 0.211mm., those of the thinnest 0.1873mm., an average difference of 0.237mm.
Again comparing results with previously compiled results it was learned that while there was no change in the diameters and scatter area, the standard deviation increased by 0.048mm.
Conclusion
1. The overall average length of the 1.6TSUN needles was 67.343mm. with a standard deviation of 0.188mm. and a scatter area of 0.88mm.
2. The overall average diametter of No. 3 needle was 0.1983mm. with a standard diviation of 1.1464μ and a scatter area of 0.005mm.
3. From the above results it was shown that the accuracy in needle lengths and diameters was remarkably lacking. Thus it can be said that it is essential for the needle manufacturers to practice quality control.
4. The standardization of needle length and diameter should be rapidly investigated and executed.

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Introduction:
In an effort to confirm the cause of breakage damage of stainless steel needles used in acupuncture-moxibustion therapy we first selected the most commonly used stainless steel and simulating the most common conditions under which needle breakage occurs, severe electrical stimulation methods, we performed x-ray diffraction and microscopic examinations and would like to submit our results at this time.
Experiment:
In order to make observation easier a 18-8 stainless steel plate was cut into small specimen plates and using these as either negative or positive poles electriccl current was administered in Ringer's solution in which a temperature of 37°C was maintained. The composition of the stainless steel and the Ringer's solution was as per Charts 1 and 2.
Chart 1 Composition of stainless steel (SUS 304) (W%)
C Si P Mn S Ni Cr N
0.06 0.57 0.028 1.10 0.013 8.77 18.8 0.02
Chart 2 Composition of Ringer's Solution (W%)
NACl 0.86 Calcl 0.033 KCL 0.03
Results of Experiment
Upon observation of an experimental specimen of a mirror surface electrolytically polished in a mixed solution of phosphoric acid-chromic acid, remarkable corrosion and points at which crystal powder had falled off were observed on the positive pole however on the negative plate from the reference diagram obtained through x-ray diffraction it could be concluded that hydrides had formed.
Two types of crystals having lattice constants of a=3.94A° and a=3.61A° were formed with the crystal having a lattice constant of a=3.59A°. These hydrides served to weaken the metal. Thus with alternating current these two phenomenon of corrosion and hydrgen weakening overlap causing further weakenig calling for reconsideration of this problem.
Conclusion:
When electrical current was administered to a stainless steel plate within the Ringer's solution corrosion occured at the positive electrode, a hydride phase at the negative electrode indicating that stainless steel is not a proper material for acupuncture needles. Thus research of new materials is urgently called for.

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The +2 ions in the extenal fluids of the cells touching the outer surface of the nerve membranes are indespensible to excitation; if a +1 ion is added, excitation becomes easy. In the inner fluids touching the inner walls of the membrane with the existence of +1 ions only there is no problem, but if a +2 ion happens to come to exist within these inner fluids generally, this results in a decrease in the active electrical potential.
Very little is known about the quantitative tendencies of trace metal elements (or ions) within the local domain of the human tissue however the verification of the amounts of VIa (Cr, Mo), VIIa (Mn), VIII (Fe, Co, Ni, Pt), Ib (Cu, Ag, Au) transition metal elements and IIb (Zn, Cd) among the heavy metal elements existing in the human body is a matter of great physiological and pathological importance.
We will report information concerning metals among heavy metals and the transition metals in which characteristic X-rays appeared notably in this experiment.
The results of this experiment indicate the following: (1) We can induce the equation of diffusion and distribution concerning to the ions of metal element introduced into the skin and the muscle. (2) The amount of ionization of metal elements introduced into the tissues is not abided by Farady's law of electrolysis. (3) In proportion as time of stimulation increases the amount of K-ions in the local domain punctured by Au-needle. (4) As the effect of metal element punctured and introduced into the tissues, the ions of the transition metal elements that were already existing in the tissues are acting in conjunction with the introduced element. (5) The cause of variation on the trace element is not analyzed in this experiment.

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There are many reports on the therapeutic effects of medcation on experimental ulcers however as yet a definitive drug therapy has not been found. Reports concerning the therapeutic results of acupuncture are almost unheard of. We examined hist-morphologcally the influences of acupuncture acupoint stimulation on acetic-acid serosa-searing ulcers in rats. We used as a reference for experimental ulcers the methods of nationwide medical investigators. A flatiron heated to a temperature of 90°C was placed on top of a 3mm. paper which had been saturated with acetic acid to create an acetic serosa searing ulcer. A laporotomy was performed under ethyl anesthesia and the ulcer creating operation performed. The 3rd day after treatment was considered the starting point of therapeutic progress. From this day for 5 days (5 treatments) the amount of cure resulting in the acupuncture stimulation group was compared with that in a non-stimulation control group. There were over 10 cases. The form of the ulcer in the membraneous stomach areas was cut in paraffin and histologically comparatively examined. Acupuncture stimulation was administered at ST-36 and BL-21 from the ptints effective in the treatment of stomach disease. The results of the experiment indicated that cure in the acupuncture stimulation group surpassed that in the control group.

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From ancient times the oriental medicine has applied the acupuncture therapy, choosing various meridian points, to the diseases of the digestive system.
Against the gastric diseases meridian points Tsusanli (S36), Yangling-chuan (G34) etc. are usually used. However, it is traditionally handed down that the puncture to Tsusanli tends to increase gastric secretion, therefore the puncture to Yanglingchuan is better for gastric hyperacidity than that to Tsusanli.
On these meridian points, its pathophysiological mechanism for the diseases of the digestive system of these meridian points still remains unknown.
In these paper, an evaluation on the change of pH value of gastric juice was carried out by using Telemeter for gastroenteric pH value, concerning Tsusanli, Yanglingchuan, Liangchiu (S34), and Waichiu (G36).
It was obtained that the tendency to increase the secretion of HCI in gastric juice in the group stimulated to Tsusanli and the group to Lingchiu, and the tendency to inhibit the secretion in the group to Yanglingchuan.

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In an effort to contribute to the understanding of acupuncture therapy, using the serum cortisol level as an index we examined the responses of the dog's body to acupoint stimulation through intermittent measurement of changes in serum cortisol levels.
The experimental animals used were 5 adult beagles bred in similar environements. The areas of needle stimulation-ST-36, BL-23, throat point and various non-acupoint areas on the thigh were selected and experiments conducted 5 times at each point. The dogs were secured in place and after needle insertion, 30 minutes of electrical stimulation at 30Hz, double electrode pulse wave at 5Vp-p was administered. Blood was withdrawn before electrical stimulation, directly after stimulation, 1 hour after, 2 hours after and at 2 hour intervals for 8 hours. Also in a similar manner blood was withdrawn from those simply secured in place. The serum cortisol levels were measured through radioimmunoassay methods revealing the following results.
1) The serum cortisol levels increased most directly following electrical current and then dropped quickly and returned to original levels 2 hours after stimulation. After this there were slight variations however no remarkable changes from pre-treatment levels were observed.
2) The serum cortisol levels increased most with stimulation at the throat point followed by ST-36, the non-acupoint area, secured in place, and BL-23 in that order.
3) From the period directly after stimulation to 1 hour after, the levels after throat point stimulation showed tendencies to increase in comparison with secured in place, the non-acupoint area and BL-23 stimulation.
4) Stimulation at BL-23, opposite to that at all other points, resulted immediately following electrical current in levels lower than secured in place.
As explained above in this experiment the changes in the serum cortisol levels differed depending on the point of stimulation, however in every case the changes were temporary and recovery quick.

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We examined effects of electro-acupuncture on the jaw opening reflex. Using rats anesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (40mg/kg: intraperitoneal) the jaw opening reflex was evoked by electrical stimulation of the dental pulp. The reflex was evoked by electro-myograms were recorded from the digastric muscle, showing di- or triphasic potentials with latency of about 6 msec. The dental pulp stimulation was preceded by single pulse electroacupuncture (EA) of the fore- or hind-leg.
Facilitation followed by inhibition of the jaw opening reflex was induced by the EA. The facilitation lasted for about 20 msec and 30 msec in case of the fore- and hind-leg EAs, respectively. The following inhibition was observed up to about 300 msec and 400 msec after the fore- and hind-le2 EA9, respectively.
It is worthy of note that train pulse EAs diminished inhibition of the jaw opening reflex.

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I will report on therapeutic results obtained using Chinese needles to treat 118 cases of mainly pain related disease met daily in the orthopedic clinic, over the course of 1 year, 6 months beginning in July, 1979. Formerly used acupuncture therapy was supplemented with electrical acupuncture and moxa-needles. The cases included among others lumbar-vertebral hernia, sciatica, deformative spondylosis, muscle-fascia lumbago, etc., among lumbago diseases, cervical spondylosis, cervicoscapulo-brachial syndrome, neck sprain, stiff neck upon rising, and other neck disorders. periarthritis of shoulder, deformative arthralgia of the knee, deformative arthralgia of the hip and chronic articular rheumatism.
Among lumbago patients results were especially good with muscle-fascial lumbago. In radicular sciatica cases improvement of Lasegue's symptom was observed in early cases, however in older cases improvement of symptoms was temporary or in some cases symptoms recurred. With deformative spondylosis there was a fair number of effective cases. Moxa-needle therapy proved especially effective. With deformative arthralgia of the knee results differed from cases to case. In cases in which X-ray examination revealed severe disorders results were temporary.

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Muscle tenderness or stiffness is generally attributed to local muscle spasm or aggravated tonus however electro-myographic studies have indicated no spontaneous discharge as usual and any kind of change of N M U weve patterns, certainly. There is a great deal of uncertainty about the fundamental chracter, identified factor of these conditions.
To analize (_??_-S curves) -the mean inteerval (_??_) of the single unit NMU discharges and the standard deviation (S) of the same it was learned that these phenomena could be classified into two types of muscle activities, the one is kinetic activity (K-curve) and the other is tonic one (T-curve) so to speak. We conducted examinations concerning about the character of the notor unit activity of the trigger point in low back pain patient with _??_-S relation. In comparison with the distribution of (_??_-S) of the low back pain patient group (14 patients, 295 units) and that of the control group most (_??_) was up to about 120 msec. with (S) relatively stable, an almost horizontal distribution along the x-axis with an increase when (_??_) was any larger.
As compared to this, in most examples in the lumbago group (_??_) was horizontally up to 120 msec. after which a gradual rise xas indicated. The various distributions showed that that of the lumbago group was moved to the right of the awis of co-ordination as was the recovery line. Consequently, we observed that the NMU discharges of the trigger point in low back pain patients showed more tonic activity than that of normal subjects. And this finding strongly indicates that voluntary muscular activity in trigger points is under the predominant influence of spinal motoneuron than homonymous neuron segmentally.

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As you know, we have met with the patients suffered from cervical spondylosis with so to speak paresthesia in daily living. We planned, this time, to search for how clinical assessment about like that kind of paresthesia was to be in practical scene.
The subjects of this studies, they were cared in the out-patient programs, the department of rehabilitation medicine at Teikyo University, 26 cervical spondylosis patients complained of any paresthesia on their arms.
In the first place, to clarify the differences between the normal and patient groups clinicaly, we were planing to check and count sensory and motor conduction velocity, somato-sensory evoked potential and latency of each component. And then, plethysmogram was also checked but decidedly, there was no significant difference between the normal and innormal group statistically.
Accordingly, it has become clear that we had so many items which was to be solved scientifically in these investigations. And that we got to know its difficulities and possibilities to put like this clinical assessment in practice.

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Piercing acupuncture therapy is a method by which the needle is inserted at special acupoints or reaction points and inserted to a determined depth toward another acupoint or an opposite side such that the needle is inserted subcutaneously to the object area. For example, when the needle is inserted at GB-53 passing through BL-54 toward KI-10 the needle passes through the connective tissue subcutaneously to the objective side, pecking techniques are administered and the needle withdrawn. By so doing the needle need not pierce the skin on the opposite side moreover the needle is inserted at an area at which there is no resistance to the needle point during insertion and no resistance to changes in insertion direction.
We obtained excellent effects not only with periarthritis of the shoulder, elbow arthralgia, knee arthralgia and other motor system diseases using piercing acupuncture methods, but also with reflexive pain in the thoracic abdominal and lumbar regions as well as numbness of the 4 limbs, paralysis, etc.. In 56% of the cases the pain completely disappeareed with 1 treatment and was alleviated in 35%, that is, in total, 91% pain relieving results were obtained. In 16 cases pain recurred however after 2-7 insertions the pain disappeared completely. In the remaining 9% of the cases no change or impairment was reported thus therapeutic methods were changed after 1 treatment. In these experiments in addition to treatment in the area of pain we examined for tenderness between the spinous processes of the vertebrae and administered piercing acupuncture therapy. Tenderness was especially remarkable between c₃-c₄ and c₄-c₅, occuring in 70% of the cases. These were cases of periarthritis of the shoulder, inability to twist neck, epigastrium pain, thoracic pain, numbness of fingers and hand, elbow pain, etc..
Piercing acupuncture therapy is one of the special specific treatment acupuncture techniques. Frequently good results are obtained with only one insertion however used as a supplementary technique for heretofore used acupuncture therapy it will be found even more effective.

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In China, beginning with acupuncture anesthesia, various new acupuncture-moxibustion methods such as scalp needle methods, auricular needle methods and penetration methods have been invented. Since several years ago we have been studying the clinical results of these penetration methods, especially in the treatment of facial nerve paralysis, and we'd like to report our results at this time.
Facial paralysis can generally be divided into central nervous system type and peripheral type. In this study we analyzed 70 cases of the latter type. As for the treatment method, using Chinese needles, penetration methods were used and supplemented by electrical acupuncture methods.
The following texts were used as reference texts for point selection and location: Shanghai CHUIGAKUINHEN, SHINKYUGAKU (Jinmineisei Publishers) and Shanghai SHIGAKUINHEN, and Acupuncture-Moxibustion Therapy Handbook.
Penetration methods were used with the following points:
* From GB-14 to GYOYO
* From TH-23, 4cm. in the direction of HT-20
* From ST-7 to ST-19
* From ST-3 to ST-1
* From ST-4 to ST-6
* From ST-6 to GB-2
We verified that using this therapeutic method results of treatment are 80% stronger.

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Purpose: Upon very specific diagnosis facial pain can be classified into idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia, secondary trigeminal neuralgia, neuralgia of the glossopharyngeal nerve, superior pharyngeal neuralgia, knee area neualgia and indeterminate facial pain.
In the future it will be necessary to determinate to what degree the acupuncture-moxibustion therapy is effective in treating these cases, and also when nerve block therapy is indicated and should be applied.
In the literature of the acupuncture-moxibustion trigeminal neuralgia is found among such diseases, for which A-M therapy is indicated, however the degree of effectiveness is unclear. Therefore we intend to clarify just how effective can be the acupuncture-moxibustion therapy in the pain clinic treatment of definitely diagnosed idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia.
Method: Among the facial pain patients, who visited the Pain Clinic, the Dep. of Anesthesiology, Osaka Medical University, we selected idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia patients, in whom the pain occured along the branch of the nerve, and indeterminate trigeminal neuralgia patients, in whom the pain occured diffusely and not necessarily along the path of the nerve, and we performed a comparison of effect of treatments with principally accupuncture and with principally nerve block.
The study was based on a questionnaire investigating long term results.
Results: Concerning facial pain, the results of the acupuncture-moxibustion therapy for idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia showed fewer cases of excellent or effective results than the nerve block therapy, but in fact most results of the former showed some effect. However, for indeterminate type trigeminal neuralgia more excellent results were observed with acupuncture therapy.
Of facial pain the acupuncture-moxibustion therapy is indicated for the treatment of indeterminate type of trigeminal neuralgia, however, it was learned that in general for the treatment of idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia the acupuncture-moxibustion therapy was less effective than the nerve block therapy.

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1. Summary
In most cases the objective of Oriental medicine, in particular acupuncture-moxibustion therapy is, through preventative measures, to contribute to the cure of disease. One representative symptom with which we often come into contact in the acupuncture-moxibustion clinic is lumbago. At this time we'd like to discuss rational, effective counter-measures for lumbago from the point of view of preventative medicine and the therapeutic methods of our clinic and their effectiveness based on the summation of information obtained from 80 lumbago patients who came to this clinic between June, 1979 and Dec., 1980 (22.3% of the total patients during the same period).
2. Facts about Lumbago
We will report on the actual facts of lumbago such as sex, age and occupational divisions of the patients, the period of progress from the onset of symptoms to the beginning of therapy, direct cause of the lumbago, accompanying diseases, previous experience as well as therapeutic effects and number of treat-ments.
3. Observation Tests and Therapeutic Methods of this Clinic
We will explain in detail lumbago therapy for nerve based symptoms such as deformative lumbar spondylosis, intervertebral disease, etc., lumbago treatment for muscle and muscle fascia disease and lumbago treatment for disease due to pelvic visceral organ reflex. We will also explain determination of results (comparitive examination of pre-post treatment results).
4. Consideration
We will discuss the high rate of degenerative emaciation syndrome of the aging phenomenon based on the age configurations of the lumbago patients. We will also present our opinions concerning the clinical meaning of acupuncture-moxibustion as a preventative measure for lumbago.
It is important for the lumbago patients, especially for middle or old age patients, to contine the therapy in some period.
We will have to undertake to guide the patients the correct pose of body and the daily moderate exercise.

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From old times, Oriental medicine has had a double layer structure comprising therapeutic medicine and constructive medicine, and therapists of Oriental medicine have believed that the best treatment for us is to take care of our health. The problem of the usual therapeutic system used only by acupuncturists is that clinical field is limited to an acupuncture clinic and the number of patients is also limited. In view of the above and with the goal of solving these problems, we devised a new magnetic acupuncture methol which is applicable to our home treatment in the early stages of disease and examined, from both the viewpoints of Oriental medicine and health medicine, whether or not this magnetic acupuncture is a useful means for systematically performing the treatments of therapeutic medicine and of constructive medicine.
(1) Magnetic acupuncture treatment
In this treatment, it is mainly expected that slight clincal symptom (stiffness, pain) will be relieved owing to the synergistic effect of the needle pressure stimulation and the magnetic action exercised by the needle plastered on the reaction acupuncture points of living body's skin. Compared with the intracutaneous needle which acupuncturists use as a rule, it is easier to operate. In addition, it is superior in rapidity and durability of effect to the commercially available magnetic pellet and acupuncture pellet.
(2) Magnetic acupuncture
The magnet is made of isotropic barium ferrite and has a diameter of 5mm and a thickness of 2.3mm. It has a shape of a disc having a small projection located at the center of the disc on the side which comes into contact with skin (N pole side). The magnetism emanating from the projection has a magnetic flux density of about 952 gauss which is approximately 1.8 times as great as the magnetic flux density of the magnetisms emanating from the flat part of the plate other than the projection. There are two kinds of magnetic acupunctures: one is gold magnetic acupuncture for PU (weak stimulation) and the other is silver magnetic acupuncture Xie (strong stimulation).
(3) Clinical application
In Ling-Shu (Rei Su) which is a volume in the earliest known text on acupuncture, the Nei Ching or Classic of Internal Medicine, or Da-Ging (Dai Kei), it is mentioned that the basic therapeutic point lies in the pain. On these grounds, one magnetic acupuncture disc is plastered on the point at which the response was greatest according to the acupuncture point phenomena (pressure pain, stiffness, depression, hypersensit iveness, trigger-point, etc.) and some additional magnetic acupuncture discs are appropriately plastered on the points surrounding the most sensible point, as well as on the main acupuncture points having a relation to the relief of clinical signs.
A clinical test was performed in order to prove the clinical effects of magnetic acupuncture. Thus, 401 subjects who usually complained of stiffness and pain in shoulder without any objective findings were picked out and clinically tested. These subjects were classified into magnetic acupuncture therapy group (120 subjects) and its placebo therapy group (281 subjects), and the clinical test was performed to compare both the groups. Here is reported a part of the test results.

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