1. Purpose: To determine whether or not there are special appetite control points on the ear and clarify the functional mechanism of the same.
2. Method: A total of 50 male and female outpatients ranging in age from 18 to 45 with simple obesity, the level of which was above 120% were divided randomly into 2 treatment groups, SHINMON Treatment Group (hereafter referred to as P group) and Lung Treatment Group (hereafter referred to as A group), and stationary insertion of needles at the respective points on the right ears of the patients for a period of 2 weeks was administered. A comparative examination was made of pre and post treatment changes in appetite and weight as well as in levels of various components which can be considered to be related with appetite such as blood metabolism substances (Glucose, NEFA) and hormones (Insulin, Gastrin, Secretin). Also in order to examine the influences on the stomach factors related to intake regulation, gastrin secretion activity before and after the loading of 300ml. of water was examined. Concerning the appetite suppressing effect, the lowering of food intake, aggravation of feelings of fullness and lessening of hunger were evaluated with one of 4 or 5 ranks recorded on an examination chart daily throughout the treatment.
The evaluation system was designed such that attributing a numerical value to each of the evaluation ranks the largest possible sum total was 8 points, the lowest 2 points. The average of the values over the two week period was considered the appetite decreasing point total. (hereafter referred to as ADP).
3. Results: In P group results were Excellent (ADP≥6) in 2 cases, effective (4.56) in 2 cases, slightly effective (3.0≤ADP<4.5) in 5 cases, ineffective (-1≤ADP<3) in 14 cases and impairing (ADP<-1) in 1 case.
In A group results were excellent in 8 cases, effective in 6 cases, slightly effective in 1 case, ineffective in 9 cases. dropping out in 1 case, . There were no cases of impairment. Statistically there was a significant difference between the occurence of excellent results (P<0.05), moreover a significant difference (P<0.005) was observed between the occurence of effective results or better.
The weight loss was significant in both groups however was remarkable in A group. No significant difference was recorded in any of the pre-post treatment check categories in P group; in A group only the insulin at the time of an empty stomach dropped significantly (P<0.05). There was no correlation between this drop and weight loss.
Significant activation (P<0.05) of pre-post water loading occurred only following Lung point therapy.
4. Conclusion: Special appetite decreasing points exist in the ear. The points function to reduce insulin at the time of an empty stomach and to aggravate gastrin secretion due to the loading of 300ml. of water.

In order to examine the effect of ear-acupuncture on functional constipation, 37 cases were divided into two groups: group A of scybalum (20 cases) and group B of non-scybalum (17 cases). Intracutaneous needles were applied to the bilateral lung point for two weeks, and the changes of their bowel movement were compared. In addition, the same treatment was undertaken for 7 cases (group C, spastic constipation group), in which efficacy of Scopolamine-N-butylbromide (Buscopan), a parasympathetic nerve blocker, was proved. Improvement was noticed in 18 cases (90%) of group A, whereas only in 6 (35.3%) cases of group B. Moreover, 7(41.2%) of group B experienced aggravation. In group C, improvement was noted in 6 (85.8%) cases. It is suggested that ear-acupuncture to the lung point inhibits the parasympathetic nerve activity and relieves spastic constipation.

Differences between right-side and left-side stimulations in ear acupuncture treatment for obesity were examined. In Method I, 39 patients with simple obesity were randomly divided into two groups: bilateral lung points stimulation group (BL) and right cardia point stimulation group (R₁). In Method II, 24 patients with simple obesity were randomly divided into two groups: right cardia points st mulation group (R₂) and that of left one (L). Ear acupuncture was undertaken for both groups for four weeks. The appetite depressing effect and change of body weight and taste were compared. In Method I, BL showed better appetite-depressing effect and body weight loss than R₁. Highly increased salt-taste sensitivity was seen in both BL and R₁ groups. Positive correlation was seen between pretreatment salt-taste threshold and amount of body weight loss in (R₂) group (r=0.794), and the same tendency was also seen in L (r=0.536), i. e. the higher pretreatment threshold, the larger amount of wight loss. The fact that more abrupt tilt of regression line was seen in (R₂) suggests that stimulation of the right-side pointI was more effective than that of left-side.

[Objective]The purpose of this study is to investigate a situation of practitioner-patient risk communication about acupuncture and moxibustion treatment.
[Methods]The subjects of this study were 250 Fukuoka City Acupuncture and Moxibustion Association's members and their 1,250 patients in Japan. The practitioner and patient questionnaires included the same items, with the same response categories.
[Results]Ninety-one practitioners (36.40%) and 407 patients (32.56%) returned questionnaires. The 'practitioner better'situation (i.e. when practitioners'evaluations were better than patients'evaluations) had the most negative influence on patient outcome measures compared with the other situations. For the explanation of medical testing, 'length of clinical experience'[OR 1.30, 95%CI 1.00 to 1.68]was a significant predictor of the practitioner-better situation. For the explanation of treatment, 'length of clinical experience'[OR 1.05, 95%CI 1.02 to 1.08]was a significant predictor of the practitioner-better situation. Most patients (73.21%) had not been asked about acupuncture and moxibustion therapy use by their physician. Twenty-seven (48.21%) patients informed their physicians about acupuncture and moxibustion therapy use. Five (4.00%) side effects were reported. The side effect occurred regardless of a practitioner and patient characteristics, and did not influence the patient's outcomes.
[Discussion]It is thought that obtaining knowledge is useful in the architecture of a person for future better practitioner-patient relations.

Purpose
It was the purpose that if the auricular dermal points would be a cure for obesity.
Method
Subjects were 60 patients from 18 to 45 years old getting simple obestiy in the obesity index over 120% and were divided randomly into the lung area dermal points test group and the extra-lung area test group (1.5mm above the lung dermal points). In the auricular dermal points, subcutaneous needles were applied to both groups. The needles were changed every week and the therapy was continued 4 weeks. By the following method, the effect of acupuncture upon their appetite and electrolyte metabolism were analyzed. A questionaire containing 4 matters points of discussion was given to them to complete such as amount of diet and drink, the sense of hunger and satiety. Before and after therapy, they were examined variations of the following 7 matters points; weight, blood suger in hunger, free fatty acid, insulin, osmetic pressure, serum natrium and serum kalium.
Effect
The dermal points test group showed significantly decrease in amount of diet (p<0.01), drink (p<0.01) and in the sense of hunger (p<0.05) and increase in satiety (p<0.01). In both groups their weight decreased significantly, especially in the dermal points test group, but there were significant differences in weight between the two (p<0.05). In the 2, 3, 4 week after therapy, the dermal points test group showed significant decrease in insulin (p<0.025, p<0.025, p<0.05), on the other hand, the other did not show any significant difference. On the variation of blood suger, there was almost no difference between the two. The dermal points test group showed significant decrease in osmetic pressure and serum natrium (p<0.005, p<0.05) from the first week after therapy and it held still the fourth week (p<0.005, p<0.05), whereas the other showed no significant difference. Osmetic pressure had a significant difference in both groups (p<0.05).
Conclusion
It was concluded that the lung area dermal points were a cure for obesity and, being given stimulus to these points, appetite was strained and weight was decreased. It is also considered that it gives a good effect upon saccarometabolism and electrolyte metabolism.

Purpose
In the 31st and 32nd conference of the J. S. A., we reported that stimulation of an electrodermal point (i. e. the lung point) in the cavity of the concha depressed appetite and affected the metabolism of water. Since there are, however, so many electrodermal points, the question arises as to whether stimulation to any other electrodermal point has the same effect as this lung point. The purpose of this study is to clarify this question.
Method
Forty-two cases (men and women aged 18 to 50) of simple obesity (over+10% of standard body weight) were randomly divided into two groups: the group of the Cardia point stimulation (L-group), and the group of the cardia point stimulation (c-group). An intracutaneous (subcutaneous) needle was inserted in the point and kept there for two weeks, renewed once a week. The effects on depressing appetite and the metabolism of water were analysed as follows: The questionnaires for changes of the food intake, the feeling of hunger, the feeling of plenitude, the water intake, and the urinary output were given to the subjects, and they rated their responses into 4-6 grades according to our criteria. The body weight, serum osmotic pressure, and the concentration of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) was measured before and after the stimulation.
Result
The following changes were seen in both L- and C-group: the food intake decreased; the feeling of hunger decreased; the feeling of plenitude increased; the water intake decreased. The body weight decreased 0.8±0.1kg for L-group and 1.2±0.3kg for C-group. There was no significant intergroup difference. The urinary output showed a tendency to increase in L-group (p<0.10).
The serum osmotic pressure and ADH decreased significantly in L-group (p<0.02, p<0.02), while there was no significant change in C-group. However, there was no significant intergroup difference.
Conclusion
Stimulation applied to the lung point or the cardia point, which are electrodermal points in the cavity of the concha, was equally effective in depressing appetite and caused the same amount of weight loss. Stimulation to the lung point caused the decrease of the serum osmotic pressure and ADH, and the upward tendency of the urinary outout, while stimulation to the cardia point showed no significant change.
On the basis of this result, it is reasonable to presume that there is some difference between the lung point and the cardia point in affecting the metabolism of water, and that these two electrodermal points have different meanings.

Introduction : We investigated the effects of skin stimulation with noninvasive microcones on constipation in university students.
Methods : 17 university students with constipation were studied. Students were randomly assigned to either Group S (n=9) that received skin stimulation of the auricle using microcones, or Group P (n=8) that were given placebo treatment. Both groups received 4 weeks of treatment.
Results : There were no significant differences in the mean baseline CAS-J (Japanese Version of Constipation Assessment Scale) values between the two groups. After 4 weeks, subjects in Group S had significantly lower CAS-J values compared with baseline (P=0.02). No significant changes were noted in the values for Group P.
Conclusion : These results suggested that skin stimulation with noninvasive microcones improved constipation in university students, and may be a viable option for self-care of this condition.