The “Electro-dermal Point” (Ishikawa) is a circumscribed skin area with a dimension of about 0.5×0.5mm or minor where electric resistance is at an order of as little as 1/100th of the surrounding skin areas.
According to Ishikawa's reports the point is closely connected with viscerocutaneous reflex and “Keiketsu” in the oriental medicine.
But according to Kubota the point shows no qualitative difference from electrically induced insulation-broken skin areas in I-T & V-I relationships and recovery curves. It is a circumscribed skin area with electrically low resistance, easy to break down, which can be secondarily produced by the a application of the Electrodermometer which was devised by Ishikawa to detect the point.
The “Differential Dermal Point” is a skin area with marked potential difference to surrounding skin area and detected by the “Differential Dermometer” which measures the potential difference between the two tiny electrodes with fixed distance of 1.5mm closely applied on the skin, where a weak current of about 0.15μA (100-400μV) flows, induced by domestic alternating current or so.
Therefore there is no risk of inducing break down of skin insulation by the use of a “Differential Dermomer” in contrast to the application of an “Electro-dermometer”.
By the latter procedure about 5-18 Volt (D. C.) is charged between the two electrodes.
The purposes of this paper were to investigate:
1. Measuring conditions of the “Differential Dermometer”.
2. Microscopic findings of the “Electrodermal Points” and “Differental Dermal Points” in human subjects.
3. Correlation between the Electrodermal Point, Differential Dermal Point and the skin areas given intracutaneously vaso-constrictors (adrenaline. atropine) or vasodilatators (pilocarpine, histamine, serotonin).
4. Electrodermal Points and Differential Dermal Points on the abdomen of rabbits.
5. Correlation of Differential Dermal Points and “Keiketsu” in the oriental medicine.
The results were as follow:
1. Differential-dermometer was modified in this study from the original type. One electrode with larger dimension was connected to filament side and earthed. Pottential difference read by the application of the modified Differential-dermometer was roughly proportional to the skin resistance at the electrode connected to the grid. No marked change in potential difference was observed by changing the distance of the indifferent electrode from the different electrode (grid side).
2. Differential-dermal points were found more abundantly than electro-dermal points. Every electro-dermal point showed the characteristics of differential dermal point but not vice versa.
The histological findings of the electro-dermal points and the differential dermal points on the trunk showed that there were an epidermal intercellular edema, pyknosis, small wedge-formed necrosis and scar at the prickle-cell layer corresponding to the flow area of a subcutaneous arteriole. But some of the differential dermal points revealed no marked change histologically. Electro-dermal points on the extremities showed also no marked histological change.
3. Thick distribution of differential-dermal points was observed surrounding the mamillae of rabbits.
4. While the effects of the vasoconstrictors given intracutaneously continued, the skin area was liable to change into electro-dermal point by the application of an electrodermometer and to show characteristics of differential dermal points.
5. The differential-dermal points coincide with “Tai-en”, “Shin-mon” and “Tai-ryo” in the fore-arms.

A 62-year-old woman showed signs of liver dysfunction of unknown etiology in 1994. She was admitted to our hospital in July 1996 because the liver dysfunction, as well as general fatigue, worsened. Anti-mitochondrial antibodies were present, and a liver biopsy was performed. Pathological findings were compatible with primary biliary cirrhosis. Treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid (600mg/day) was initiated in August 1996, and liver dysfunction improved. However, ESR and IgM did not improve, and general fatigue persisted. In December 1996, Sairei-to was combined with ursodeoxycholic acid. One month later, ESR, IgM, and general fatigue improved. In May 1997, Sairei-to was replaced by Keishibukuryo-gan because of her symptoms (Hie-sho and varix pain), and liver dysfunction and general fatigue reappeared. Keishibukuryo-gan was later discontinued because of suspected drug-induced hepatitis. Two months later, liver dysfunction remained unimproved. Sairei-to was administered again and liver dysfunction and other symptoms disappeared. These results suggest that combined therapy with Sairei-to and ursodeoxycholic acid is effective in the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis.

The authors report a case of secondary renal amyloidosis associated with rheumatoid arthritis, which responded well to Kampo therapy. A 68-year-old woman was diagnosed as having rheumatoid arthritis in April 1992. Her disease activity was not controlled well with any anti-rheumatic drugs. In September 1996, proteinuria and hematuria were found, and a renal biopsy showed secondary amyloidosis. Proteinuria and hematuria were progressive. The patient was treated with Sairei-to, and by April 1998, proteinuria and hematuria nearly disappeared. This clinical course suggests that Sairei-to is an effective treatment for secondary renal amyloidosis.

A 28-year-old woman presented with persistent diarrhea, lower abdominal pain, low-grade fever and general fatigue in 1994. She was admitted to a hospital with suspected inflammatory colitis. Aphthoid mucosal changes were founded on colonoscopy, but the etiology was unknown. Salazosulfapyridine was administered for 3 months, but it was not effective for the abdominal symptoms. In November 1995, pyrexia, lymph node swelling and polyarthralgia appeared, and the patient was admitted to our hospital. Malar rash, photosensitivity, leukopenia, antinuclear antibody and anti-DNA antibody were found. She was diagnosed as having systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus colitis. Prednisolone (30mg/day) was administered, and pyrexia, polyarthralgia and leukopenia were improved, but the abdominal symptoms persisted for 5 weeks. Keisi-ka-syakuyaku-to was administered, and it was markedly effective for relieving persistent diarrhea and abdominal pain. Keisi-ka-syakuyaku-to was continued until February 1999 and the patient's clinical course was satisfactory.

An attack of Raynaud's Phenomenon (RP) is characterized by blanching of the fingers in response to cold or emotional stimuli.
We analyzed the effect of ninjinyouei-to on RP in patients with MCTD. Subjects in this study comprised 19 patients, two males and 17 females, with a mean age of 38 years, and a mean duration of disease of 57.6 months. The study was performed at a time when RP occurred frequently in our country, that is in the period from November 1992 to March 1993.
We administered 9.0g of ninjinyouei-to to each case for four weeks and measured the surface skin temperature of the hands before and after medication with a thermograph using a Thermoviewer-JTG 3300.
There was a significantly higher temperature on the left first finger-tip after medication. Our thermographic findings in this study demonstrate a quantitative efficacy of ninjinyouei-to on RP in MCTD.

We experienced a case of polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) which responded to Kampo medicine. A 53-year-old female patient first complained of stiffness and pain in the neck. Myalgia was severe and gradually eypanded to both shoulders and both upper extremities. Body weight decreased, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was greater than 100mm/hour. Because her condition tended to improve when treated with prednisolone 10mg/day, she was diagnosed as having PMR. Her condition was well controlled until the dose of prednisolone decreased. Myalgia then recurred, and the ESR increased to 83mm/hour. The patient visited our outpatient department for treatment with Kampo therapy. Two months after treatment with Sairei-to plus Yokuinin-to, all signs and symptoms disappeared other than the stiff neck. Her body weight showed a tendency to increase. Six months after she first visited us, prednisolone was decreased and then stopped. Her condition still remains well controlled with this Kampo therapy alone. She has no clinical signs and symptoms, and the ESR has improved to 16mm/hour.

In 1984 a 42-year-old female complaining of general malaise and loss of strength in the proximal muscles of the limbs came to the 2nd Department of Internal Medicine for an examination. From her high CPK value, electromyogram, muscle biopsy, etc., she was diagnosed as having polymyositis. Initially she responded well to steroids, but a year later the condition recurred. Treatment with various methods such as the immunosuppressants methotrexate and azathioprine, steroid pulse therapy and plasma replacement were tried without success. In September 1991, the patient's CPK value remained abnormal at about 800mU/ml. According to the Oriental Medical viewpoint, the condition was diagnosed as Kidney yin Deficiency. Rokumi-gan was therefore administered daily (7.5g/day) for a period of 80 days. The CPK value was brought down to the vicinity of 200mU/ml, and the feeling of general malaise and lack of strength in the proximal muscles of the limbs was improved. However, due to the persistence of edema in the lower limbs, the Kampo formula was changed from Rokumigan to Chorei-to, also administered at a dosage of 7.5g/day. This reduced the edema and normalized the CPK value to the 100mU/ml range. During this period, steroid administration was maintained with prednisolone (30mg/day). At present, with the improvement in the CPK value, steroid administration is gradually being reduced.