Experimental Studies on the So-called Electro-dermal Point
- VernacularTitle:いわゆる皮電点に関する実験的研究
- Author:
Toshio KUBOTA
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- From:The Journal of The Japanese Society of Balneology, Climatology and Physical Medicine
1963;27(2):75-90
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
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Abstract:
So-called electro-dermal points (Ishikawa) are the circumscribed skin area with a dimension of about 1×1mm2 or minor where electric resistance is at an order of as little as 1/100th of the surrounding skin area. Some of the therapists of acupuncture or moxibustion and even Ishikawa and his collaborators would like to claim that these points have a close relationship to “Keiketsu” in the oriental medicine and are explained as viscerocutaneous reflex points in the sence of western medicine.
The author had investigated the diurnal and daily changes in the distribution of the electro-dermal points in the healthy and diseased individuals. In this paper specificity of the electro-dermal points are studied from the electrical view points.
Human skin, especially the epidermis, which is substantially avascular and appears to function as a relatively highly resistant layer (as an insulator) between the electrode and the highly conducting structures composed of the vessels and subcutaneous connective tissues, may be electrically broken under a specific voltage (D. C.) like other insulators. There are few reports in the literature about electric breakdown of the human tissues, especially of electrical properties of the broken human skin.
Now, operation and electric load of the apparatus (Electrodermometer), devised by Prof. Ishikawa of the Kanazawa University to detect electro-dermal points, may easily break the resistance of the human skin as a roller-formed or cone-formed metalic electrode is applied on the skin and voltage load ranges from 4.6 volts to 14.5 volts (D. C). The main purpose of the present paper is to determine whether so-called electro-dermal points are the broken down areas or not, studying properties of electrically intact and broken human skin areas and comparing the results with the electro-dermal points.
The results are as follows:
1) Electrical properties of intact human skin are qualitatively equivalent to those of semiconductor concerning the types of the voltage-current strength curves (V-I character),
2) Insulation of the human skin is broken by a specific voltage load (D. C). The forms of the current-time curves (I-T character) differ with polarity.
3) Analytical study of I-T curves suggested that the electric current should pass through the human skin at the site of the sweat glands.
4) V-I curves of electrically with negative or positive electrode broken down or mechanically injured skin areas approach to those of the intact skin areas in the course of time namely in 24-48 hours (recovery character). This form and course of recovery must be closely related with biological function of the skin, especially with self-controlled mechanism.
Conclusion was drawn the so-called electro-dermal points show no qualitative difference from electrically insulation-broken areas in I-T, V-I and recovery characters, and they are circumscribed skin areas with electrically low resistance, easy to break down, which can be secondarily produced by the application of Electrodermometer.
