In hopes that inpatients can enjoy meals without worrying about foodstuffs, our hospital started buying more local fresh produce in January 2005 tuning in on the popular “Buy Local Produce” movement. We, employees of a hospital affiliated with the Federations of Agriculture Cooperatives for Health and Welfare, think it very important to support the movement, contribute to the improvement of the self-sufficiency in food and maintain good relationships with rural communities. The advantage of local produce is its safety. We can use it with a sense of security. At present, 10 farmers, who are members of the JA Isehara Co-op, deliver vegetables to the hospital. Initially, the hospital bought what they offered, but recently they grow vegetables of the kind the hospital wants. Now, local produce accounts for about 30% of the total value of the vegetables the hospital buys.However, prospects do not warrant any optimism, because the average age of the producers is 56 and it is not easy to increase the number of producers now. As far as items unavailable from the present producers are concerned, we have begun to buy these items from non-member farmers.

  In hopes that inpatients can enjoy meals without worrying about foodstuffs, our hospital started buying more local fresh produce in January 2005 tuning in on the popular “Buy Local Produce” movement. We, employees of a hospital affiliated with the Federations of Agriculture Cooperatives for Health and Welfare, think it very important to support the movement, contribute to the improvement of the self-sufficiency in food and maintain good relationships with rural communities. The advantage of local produce is its safety. We can use it with a sense of security. At present, 10 farmers, who are members of the JA Isehara Co-op, deliver vegetables to the hospital. Initially, the hospital bought what they offered, but recently they grow vegetables of the kind the hospital wants. Now, local produce accounts for about 30% of the total value of the vegetables the hospital buys.However, prospects do not warrant any optimism, because the average age of the producers is 56 and it is not easy to increase the number of producers now. As far as items unavailable from the present producers are concerned, we have begun to buy these items from non-member farmers.

  In hopes that inpatients can enjoy meals without worrying about foodstuffs, our hospital started buying more local fresh produce in January 2005 tuning in on the popular “Buy Local Produce” movement. We, employees of a hospital affiliated with the Federations of Agriculture Cooperatives for Health and Welfare, think it very important to support the movement, contribute to the improvement of the self-sufficiency in food and maintain good relationships with rural communities. The advantage of local produce is its safety. We can use it with a sense of security. At present, 10 farmers, who are members of the JA Isehara Co-op, deliver vegetables to the hospital. Initially, the hospital bought what they offered, but recently they grow vegetables of the kind the hospital wants. Now, local produce accounts for about 30% of the total value of the vegetables the hospital buys.However, prospects do not warrant any optimism, because the average age of the producers is 56 and it is not easy to increase the number of producers now. As far as items unavailable from the present producers are concerned, we have begun to buy these items from non-member farmers.

We made the electrophotography which is able to visualize the distribution of electroconductivity to the skin.
According to an electric quantity, reducing KI into iodine, we got a compound of AgI with galvanochemical response and took a picture of a galvanic skindistribution on it. We may be able to apply both the A. C. and the D. C. in power supply. In order to take a good picture of electroconductive points, we used 12V of the D. C.. In this case, an electric quantity was
3.6×10^-4-4.8×10^-3W.Min./cm²

It is said that Ryodoraku reflects the dysfunction of the autonomic nerve in spite of no objective evidence for the theory.
Using 60 patients received right stellate ganglion block, we measured 24 typical determinate points of ryodoraku with a neurometer and an electrodermometer.
With a neurometer, an average current value of 6 points of the right upper extremity decreased in 52% as well as that of 6 points of the left decreased in 62%. Both the right and the left lower extremities decreased in 91% and 85%.
With an electrodermometer, the average impedance of the right upper extremity increased in 108%.
Finally, the sympathetic blockade showed decrease in a current value with a neurometer and increase in impedance with an electrodermometer.

In order to clarify the physiological nature of the local differences in the skin electroconductivity we measured transcutaneous electric current on the representative (determinate) points of Ryodo-Raku (by Y. Nakatani) which correspond to so-called Genketu of traditional Chinese medicine with a wet electrode of 1cm in diameter in the condition of D. C. 12 volts and 200 uA when, both electrodes are directly connected. Eighty-two healthy adults were tested once and four other healthy adults were tested daily for eight days. We analysed mathematically the values of measurements by the principal component analysis.
As a result, we found that the electroconductivity of the skin in the upper and lower limbs both, and volar and dorsal sites of the upper limb changed independently each other and showed from rough to close interrelations according to the orders as above-mentioned.

It has been told that acupuncture to the stellate ganglion suppresses the sympathetic activity. By using 15 patients, we made measurements of electrical current of the skin at the 24 typical determinate points of Ryodoraku with a Neurometer before and after electrical acupuncture to the right stellate ganglion.
After 20min rest in the supine position, average values of 6 points of the right and left upper extremities decreased with 30% and 27%, and those of the right and the left lower extremities decreased with 34% and 31%, respectively.
Immediately after 30min of electrical acupuncture, average values of 6 points of the right and left upper and the right and left lower extremities increased with 9%, 12%, 17% and 9%, respectively.
Twenty minutes after the right stellate ganglion block, average values of 6 points of the right upper extremity decreased with 16%, and those of the left one, the right and left lower extremities decreased with 9%, 18% and 14%, respectively.
These data suggest that acupuncture to the stellate ganglion stimulates the sympathetic tone by showing increase of electrical conductivity of the skin, while the stellate ganglion block shows the decrease.

We invented to clarify the influences of acupuncture on the regional skin electroconductivity on humans. An acupuncture needle in situ for a certain time or electroacupuncture using DC 12 volt, 200μA for 7 sec. was applied on the forearm.
Measurements of skin electroconductivity were done on several representative points which were distal or proximal to the acupuncture periodically.
A needle in situ and electroacupuncture on LI4 did not change the electroconductvity of the proximal skin area around the elbow level on the same extremity.
A needle in situ on LI11 increased electroconductivity of the regional skin on the distal area around Manus dorsalis.
Electroacupuncture on LI11 increased electroconductivity of the skin on LI5.
A needle in situ on LI7 did not change electroconductivity of the skin on the proximal elbow level, but significantly decreased electroconductivity of the skin on LU9.

Previously we reported effects of acupuncture to the stellate ganglion on measurements of skin electroconductivity by a Neurometer.
By using 8 healthy adults and 23 patients, we measured effects of electrical acupuncture to the stellate ganglion on carotid blood flow, deep tissue temperature, blood pressure and pulse rate in order to clarify the influence on functions of the autonomic nervous system.
After electrical acupuncture to the right stellate ganglion (SGA), the right and left carotid blood flow decreased with 4-9% and 7-12%, respectively. Deep tissue temperature of the right anterior forearm after SGA showed a little increase (with no significance), while the temperature increased with 0.4-0.7°C after the right stellate ganglion block (SGB). Deep tissue temperature of the left anterior forearm showed no significant change after SGA, while it increased with 0.1-0.3°C significantly after SGB. Systolic blood pressure increased with 2-4mmHg after SGA and this also increased with 9-11mmHg after SGB. Those increases were significant. While the pulse rate decreased (2bpm) significantly after SGA, it increased (4-6bpm) significantly after SGB.
Except the decreased pulse rate after SGA, the other data did not support a common hypothesis that electrical acupuncture to the stellate ganglion suppresses the sympathetic system as SGB.

Previously we reported that acupuncture to the stellate ganglion stimulates sympathetic nervous system while it decreases heart rate.
As it is said that R-R intervals in electrocardiogram (ECG) reflect functions of parasympathetic nervous system, we measured effects of electrical acupuncture to the stellate ganglion (SG) or traditional acupuncture points (AP) on the meridians (H7: SHENMEN and P4: HSIMEN) on R-R intervals in ECG by using 24 patients; 12 each in SG-group and AP-group.
Results are as follows; (1) Means of heart rate (HR) decreased with 1-3bpm in the both groups; (2) Coefficients of variation (CV) of HR increased with 1-2% in the both groups; (3) Means of R-R intervals prolonged with 39-47msec in the SG-group and 20-44msec in the AP-group, respectively; (4) CV of R-R intervals increased with 1% in the SG-group only.
It is suggested that acupuncture stimulates not only sympathetic nervous system, but also parasympathetic nervous system.