47 Patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis were treated with Chinese herbal medicines, acupuncture and moxibustion from May, 1, 1982 to October, 31, 1982. The effectiveness of this therapy was evaluated by the improvement of clinical symptoms and blood examination data such as CRP, RA-test and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicines (fluid-extract) amounted to 57%, but the extract granule or powder of these medicines as made by drug companies showed only 27% of effectiveness, The most frequently used prescription among the herbal medicines was the mixture of Cinnamomi Cortex, Paeoniae Radix. Glychyrrhizae Radix. Zizyphi Fructus, Zingiberis Rhizoma, Atractylodis Lanceae Rhizoma, Hoelen and Aconiti Tuber (named Kei-Shi-Ka-Ryo-Jutsu-Bu-To in Japanese and Gui-Zhi-Jia-Ling-Zhú-Fù-Tang in Chinese) . The effectiveness of this prescription was 55%. 50% of one group showing improvements had received acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, while, on the other hand, only 32% of another group showing no improvement had received acupuncture and moxibustion therapy. Inclusion of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy with the Chinese herbal therapy was thought more useful for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis from this result.
Patients who dropped out of our therapy numbered 21 in all and they had rather severe symptoms.
It was thought that the best therapy is a combination of Chinese herbal medicines (fluidextract), acupuncture and moxibustion therapy, and, in extreme cases, Western analgesic drugs.

Of the four basic medical diagnoses in Chinese medicine, tongue examinations rank in importance with pulse examinations. The conventional method of clinically recording the color of the tongue by taking photographs with film cameras generally presents various problems, such as the difficulty of establishing objective procedures and the long-term storage of records.
The authors accordingly attempted to enhance the objectivity of tongue examinations by devising a new image correction procedure combining the use of color-and-size-matching stickers (image correction color charts) and computers utilizing a digital camera. As a result, the images that are output after correction not only reproduce the tongue in its actual size but also make it possible to approximate color system values measured from the actual tongue, thereby suggesting the possibility of a useful procedure for making objective evaluations in tongue examinations.

A case of progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) with peripheral circulation disturbance, pulmonary fibrosis and stenosis of esophagus-cardia (E-C) junction, was treated with acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. The patient had digital pitting scar due to the peripheral circulation disturbance. Effect of acupuncture was examined using laser Doppler velosimetry (LDV). Acupuncture treatment was operated 3 times a week and laser therapy, once a week. And Chinese medicine was administered. The LDV measurements were done before and after acupuncture. In the total 9 times of measurements, 8 were increased in peripheral blood flow. Two times from the measurements of peripheral blood flow after acupuncture reached in the normal flow level. After the treatment of 2 months, polyarthralgia was reducted, vomiting was disappeard, and the stenosis of the E-C junction was improved. Present data suggest that the acupuncture therapy to the PSS patient is effective.

Comparing the effects of low energy laser and acupuncture was conducted in 14 patients with gonarthrosis. Effectiveness on the pain on going up or down stairs, range of motion (ROM) of knee joint and tenderness were examined. After acupuncture treatment, the pain on going up or down stairs, and ROM of knee joint were significantly improved. Laser therapy showed the same significant effects both on the pain on going up or down stairs and ROM of knee joint. In addition, laser therapy showed a significant effect on tenderness. In the statistical evaluation, no remarkable difference was shown between acupuncture therapy and laser therapy. Present data suggest that the laser therapy is as effective as acupuncture therapy in gonarthrosis.

Laser-Doppler velocimetry was used to evaluate the effects of acupuncture stimulation on peripheral circulation disturbance in patients with collagen disease, progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The response to acupuncture stimulation to shou-san-li was recorded in 8 patients with PSS and 6 patients with SLE. The digital pitting scars and Raynaud's phenomenon were observed in all the patients. The mean of laser-Doppler flow values in fingertips at room temperature 23°C was 4.83 (V) in normals (n=11), 2.82 (V) in patients (n=14). Patient group showed significantly lower values than normals (p<0.01). Ten minutes after acupuncture stimulation to shou-san-li, the flow values increased in 7, and decreased in 1 out of 13 patients (p<0.05). In normals no significant change was observed after the same stimulation. Present data suggest that the acupuncture therapy to the patients with PSS or SLE who suffered from peripheral circulation disturbance is effective.

Laser-Doppler velocimetry (LDV) was used to evaluate the effects of low energy laser irradiation on peripheral circulation disturbance in patients with collagen diseases, progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Using a commercially available LDV flometer (Periflux, Perimed KB, Sweden), the response to laser irradiation at the acupuncture points of Tian zhu, Feng chi, Jian jing, Shou san li, Jing qu, He gu, Stellate ganglion, was recorded in 4 patients with PSS and 6 with SLE. The digital pitting scars and Raynaud's phenomenon were observed in all the patients. The low energy of 10mW laser was irradiated for 1 minute at each acupuncture points, and LDV flow values ware recorded in fingertips at room temperature 25±0.5°C. Ten minutes after the laser irradiation, the LDV flow values increased significantly (p<0.5).
Present data suggest that the low energy laser irradiation to patients with PSS or SLE who suffered from circulation disturbance is effective.