The effects of acupuncture therapy on autonomic nervous complaints were studied. Acupuncture therapy was given to 30 patients with subacute myelo-optico-neuropathy (SMON), and 53.5%, on the average, showed improvement in the autonomic nervous complaints specific to SMON. In seven of these, who had undergone acupuncture therapy for three successive years, a high rate of improvement, 77.3% on the average, was observed, indicating that acupuncture therapy is useful in alleviating autonomic nervous complaints even in the chronic stage. These results suggested an effect of acupuncture on autonomic nervous system.

The relationship between the decrease in heart rate due to acupuncture stimulation and the autonomic nervous system was studied based on Tanaka et al.'s test of the autonomic nervous functions. A sufficient quantity of atropine sulfate and propranolol hydrochloride was administered to human subjects in order to study the effects of these medicines on the response of heart rate to acupuncture stimulation. A decrease in heart rate due to acupuncture stimulation was proved to occur through both the vagal nerve and sympathetic β-receptor system. The results of the experiments in human subjects suggested that acupuncture stimulation infuluences visceral effector function through the autonomic nervous system.

Purpose
The transient decrease in heart rate occurring in response to acupuncture stimulation is a rapid reaction observed immediately after the stimulation. The reaction is considered to occur via some autonomic nervous pathway. The relationship between the decrease in heart rate due to acupuncture stimulation and the autonomic nervous system was studied based on Tanaka et al.'s test of the autonomic nervous functions.
Methods
Heart rate is, physiologically, determined by acceleration by the sympathetic nervous system, the, β-stimulator particularly, and control of inhibition achieved through the parasympathetic nerve (vagus nerve) as well as by automatism of the heart. On the basis of this fact, the vagus nerve and the β-stimulator system of the sympathetic nerve were blocked with a large amount of atropine sulfate (0.04mg/kg) and propranolol hydrochloride (0.2mg/kg) to observe the effects of acupuncture stimulation on changes in heart rate, and to study the role of each autonomic nervous system.
Results
The group in which administration of atropine sulfate preceded that of propranolol hydrochloride: After acupuncture stimulation before drug administration the heart rate definitely decreased, but the degree of decrease brought about by stimulation after administration of atropine was clearly lower than that before administration. The reaction caused by acupuncture stimulation was controlled by administration of propranolol following administration of atropine.
The group in which administration of propranolol preceded that of atropine: Heart rate was decreased by acupuncture stimulation before drug administration. The degree of decrease after administration of propranolol was lower than that before administration. When atropine was additionally administered, the decrease caused by the stimulation was controlled.
From these results of administration in the two groups, it was revealed that the decrease in heart rate caused by acupuncture stimulation occurred via excitement of the vagus nerve and control by the β-stimulator system of the sympathetic nerves.

Using the peripheral-visceral reflex, one of the peripheral-autonomous reflexes as a clue we grappled with the problem of clarifying or explaining the acupuncture-moxibustion therapeutic effect meridians, acupoints, etc. At this time using principaly the peripheral-cardiac reflex and the circulatory function as an index, a survey examination concerning the differences in peripeheral responses with acupuncture and moxibustion was conducted.
Method:
Subjects: 32 healthy female and male adults between the ages of 22-40.
Method of Observing Physiological Phenomena:
Changesd in heartbeat were observed using an electrocardiograph (manufactured by Fukuda Electronics Inc.) and a polygraph (Nihon KODEN, Inc.). The pulse wave, respiration curve, etc., were simultaneously measured and recorded on the polygraph. Based on the above the patient was alowed to recline until the heart beat stabilized then stimulation was administered.
Area and Method of Stimulation: The point of stimulation in all but 2 cases was HC-4. In 2 cases 14 points over the entire body were used. Moxibustion stimulation involved 3 cones of moxa weighing 3.65mg. each. For acupuncture stimulation 1.3 TSUN No. 3 silver needles (manufactured by Aoki) were inserted to a depth of 2cm. and pecking at a rate of once per second administered for 30 seconds.
Results: The results of acupuncture-moxibustion stimulation at left HC-4 were that with acupuncture the heart beat decreases and with moxibustion stimulation quickens. In the individual 32 cases when these opposite responses of decreased pace with acupuncture, increased pace with moxibustion occured there was indicated a significant occurence with a danger rate of 1%.

The effects of transsomatic physical therapies (acupuncture and TENS) on the neurogenic bladder were examined in 73 patients (50 men and 23 women) aged 15-78 years old (mean, 59.8 years old). The capacity of the bladder and residual urine volume were observed by cystometry, uroflowmetry and by determining the urethral pressure profile. The following results were obtained:
1. In the patients with dysuria due to hypertonus of the sympathetic nerve system, the tonus of the sphincter urethrae and urethral resistance decreased due to the effects of acupuncture anesthesia, resulting in a decline in residual urine volume and improved urination in 71.4%.
2. Urethral resistance also decreased, in the patients with hypotonic bladder, resulting in a decline in residual urine volume and improved urination in 75%.
3. Acupuncture anesthesia by applying TENS seems to be clinically significant for improving urination in the neurogenic bladder.

We have continued a study on the preventive effects of acupuncture on recurrent tonsillitis. Among 239 patients with tonsillitis examined in 1980, 200 were included in the category of recurrent tonsillitis, showing a fever four or more times a year.
The preventive effects of acupuncture in these 200 patients are reported in this paper.
The subjects were 200 patients with recurrent tonsillitis treated in our department in 1980. The frequency, number of days and severity of fever and other symptoms (conditions of the nose and throat, snoring, colds and general condition) were followed for one year after the acupuncture treatment.
Of the 200 patients, 171, excluding the 29 in whom the results of research could not be obtained, were analyzed. With regard to the frequency of fever, the number of patients with a fever 12 or more times a year decreased from 102 before acupuncture therapy to nine after the treatment. The number of patients who did not have any fever and who had a fever one to three times after treatment was 30 and 69, respectively. Thus, 40.4% were not included in the category of recurrent tonsillitis, even though fever was present. In addition, there was a decrease in the severity and number of days of fever.
Favorable effects of the treatment on symptoms other than fever, such as conditions of the nose and throat, snoring, resistance to colds and general condition, were noted in more than 50% of the patients who did not have any fever after treatment or had a fever half as frequently as before treatment.
When the preventive effects on fever were determined according to age, improvement was observed in all age groups. From the viewpoint of the prevention of repetition of a high fever, the best results were obtained in patients 6-11 years of age, followed by those five years old or less.
Acupuncture treatment for recurrent tonsillitis is not so effective as tonsillectomy. However, we consider that acupuncture treatment is worth using prior to tonsillectomy to prevent the relapse of recurrent tonsillitis, taking into account operative stress on the living body and economic and personal problems arising from tonsillectomy.

We have conducted acupuncture treatment for prevening the relapse of recurrent tonsillitis. We previously noted the effectiveness of this treatment in 121 of 239 patients treated in 1980, especially in elementary school children. In the present study, we compared the annual days of absence from school and the body dimensions of children with tonsillitis given acupuncture treatment with those having tonsillar hypertrophy chosen by a school study, although there is a question on the latter's propriety as a control group in a strict sense, in order to investigate the degree of spontaneous healing included in the preventive effects of acupuncture treatment on the relapse of recurrent tonsillitis.
By May 1983, our reseach was completed in 22 children with tonsillitis given acupuncture treatment and 19 with tonsillar hypertrophy not given such therapy. In children with tonsillitis given acupuncture treatment, the average annual days of absence from school before treatment was 14.0, which was more than that for all children in the S elementary school, and that in the year after treatment was 6.5, approximating that for all children in the school. In children with tonsillar hypertrophy not given acupuncture treatment, the average number of days of absence was close to that for all children in the S elementary school in both years.
Among 14 children with tonsillitis given acupuncture treatment, lower values of height and weight were noted in eight and 12 children, respectively, at the beginning of treatment, as compared with the national averages. The body dimensions of children with tonsillar hypertrophy not given acupuncture treatment were similar to the national averages. Of 14 children with tonsillitis given acupuncture treatment, an increase to a value exceeding the national average was observed with both the height and weight in six children, the height in two and the weight in one within the year after treatment.
The above results show that children with tonsillitis have a problem from the educational and developmental standpoint, even if they do not have a focal tonsil. We think that acupuncture treatment is worth attempting prior to tonsillectomy, although it is not so surely effective as tonsillectomy, when the severity of operative stress on the living body due to tonsillectomy and the burden of medical expenses and the load on the patient's family caused by hospitalization are taken into consideration.

We administered electro-acupuncture with the purpose of preventing repeated attacks of repetitive tonsillities.
The majority of the 77 subjects were kindergarden and elementary shool children, who had high fiver more then 4 times a year.
The treatment method was as follows: 1Hz low frequency stimulation between Co 4 and lu 6 (and this bilateral) for 20 to 30 minutes.
The treatment interval was once a week, with 3 weeks constituting a treatment course.
And depending on the results of 1 course, the treatment was repeated or not. 53 patients followed 1 course, 24 patients followed 2 course.
The evaluaton of the results is based on a 1 year observation period.
RESULTS:
-9 patients (11.68%) didn't got any high fever.
-49 patients (63.63%) noticed a decrease of the high fever frequency [39 patients (50.64%) got less then 3 times a year a high fever.]
-19 patients (24.67%) didn't notice any effect [6 patients (7.79%) got tonsillectomy.]
This study showed the usefulness of acupuncture and as it's a general and easy to apply therapy, we can consider acupuncture as a first choice therapy for the prevention off repetitive tosillitis.