With a view to learning the status, on a wide scale, of the new-infection of hookworms in a rural district, the author examined the pupils of lower secondary schools in Ichiharagun, Chiba Prefecture, and obtained the following results: 1. The ratio of hookworm-ova positive cases was as high as 29.7%of all the pupils examined. By sex, it was higher in the male group than in the female group; and farmers'children showed a higher percentage than non-farmers'.
2. The percentage of new-infection was 2.2%at the minimum, 28.0%at the maximum, 12.4%on an average.In the 20 schools of all the 21 examined, percentages were not higher than 20%.And a significant correlation was found between the total infection rate and the rate of new-infection.
3. The rate of new-infection was also higher among the male than among the female examinees. By their family occupation, it was higher among farmers' children.
4. Distribution of different species among the group of people newly infected with hookworms was closely correlated with such distribution picture in the corresponding area.

In Ichihara-gun, Chiba Prefecture, a rural district, two villages where no anti-hookworm measure had hitherto been taken were selected for the study. The inhabitants of these two villages were first given mass anthelmintic treatment twice, but after that no more anti-hookworm measure was taken. In such natural conditions, theconditions of newand re-infection were observed for more than one year's time byway of stool examination.
1. The hookworm egg-positive rates: 82.4% for Itohisa, Miwa-machi, and 41.2% for Nakano, Shitsu-mura. Both species were present, but Necator americanus predominated in either of the two areas.
2. The cumulative rates of new-and re-infection for the whole year: It was higher in Itohisa (36.9%) than in Nakano (8.4%). But, in the two other villages where antihookworm measures had been executed over a long period of time, such rate was extremely low.
3. The seasonal fluctuations of the rates of new-and re-infection: In both of these subject villages it was higher in the warmer season including the wet season, i. e. mid-April to mid-July.
4. Analysis of the rates of new-and re-infection by modesof living: In Itohisa, school children showed a higher rate of new-infection, and the adults of the same area presented the higher rates of both new-infection andre-infection.In Nakano, no significant difference was seen between school children and adults, but one thing to be noted is that the cases of conversion to positive among school children were all of them new-infection cases.
5. New-and re-infection rates by sex: No particular difference was recognized in either of the two areas.
6. Classification of new-and re-infection cases by species: In bothof the villages, majority of the cases carried Necator americanus only.

The skin condition of patients with senile pruritus is considered to be in the state of “Kekkyo” in oriental medicine. For the treatment of this disease, “Ho-ketsu-zai” has been primarily used in the past in the therapy of oriental herbal medicine. There have been reports describing “Jyuzen-taiho-to” as effective in healing itchiness among patients with atopic dermatitis, but not very much is known about the results of the use of this drug for the treatment of senile pruritus. I have encountered four cases of senile pruritus, for which the administration of “Jyuzen-taiho-to” extract preparation was effective. These cases included two male and two female patients with an average age of 79 years. In all cases, skin dryness was observed and “Kikyo” and “Kekkyo” were present. To these patients, 1/3-1/2 of the normal dosage of the extract preparation was given, and the effects appeared within two to six weeks. “Jyuzen-taiho-to” seems to be one of the drugs very useful for the treatment of the patients with senile pruritus. The presence of “Kikyo” is suggested as an index for the administration of the drug.

Objective: To report that screw-in type pacing leads can be removed by screw retraction even after a significant anchoring period. Patient: A 78-year-old woman who visited our hospital for skin erosion over a pacemaker that had been implanted 3 years previously and had migrated from the subclavicular area to the axilla. Methods: Culture revealed a local staphylococcus infection. We placed a new pacemaker system in the contralateral (right) side, removed the old one, inserted a straight type stylet into the leads, and turned the rotator counterclockwise. Results: An image monitor confirmed complete retraction of the ventricular lead screw and partial retraction of the atrial lead screw, and we were able to pull out both leads without any resistance. The patient was given antibiotics and discharged 2 days after the surgery. No wound infection was evident at a 3-month follow-up examination. Conclusion: When a screw-in type pacemaker with a retractor must be removed long after its implantation, screw retraction should be tried before resorting to a removal kit or open heart surgery.