We have previously reported that Bukuryo-shigyaku-to (BSG) has the effect of improving the asthmatic state of steroid dependent patients. Nevertheless, the standard indication for this drug in Kampo medicine was not established in these patients. In this paper, we report three such patients who improved by its administration. A 66 y. o. male diagnosed as having as asthma with pulmonary emphysema was treated daily with 30mg of oral prednisolone. A 45 y. o. female diagnosed as having asthma with autonomic disorder was treated daily with 7.5-15mg of oral prednisolone. A 61 y. o. female diagnosed as suffering from asthma with diabetes mellitus was treated daily with 10mg of oral prednisolone. The reason for the use of BSG was that their asthmatic state remained unchanged by other Kampo drugs which were indicated by the usual Kampo diagnosis, and in the second and third cases the duration until feeling heat from the applied electrical warm acupuncture apparatus was overly long. Weakness of radial pulse and cold in the extremities, the usual indications for the use of BSG by Kampo diagnosis, were absent in these three cases, but nevertheless its administration improved their asthmatic states. This apparent contradiction with Kampo diagnosis might be related to the effect of the steroid drugs used.

In order to evaluate the diagnostic values of sprash sound of the abdomen and plain X-ray findings of the stomach for “INAI-TEISUI” (the water-imbalance syndrome), correlation between these two factors and the symptoms associated with the “INAI-TEISUI” were surveyed statistically.
The study revealed that sprash sound of the abdomen was closely related with the abdominal symptoms of the water-imbalance syndrome, and that the type A of the stomach characterized by blowted, atonic wall with prominent longitudinal folds in the plain X-ray findings was related with systemic symptoms of the water-imbalance syndrome such as dizziness, tinnitus, rhinorrhea and sneezing.
These results suggest that both sprash sound of the abdomen and plain X-ray findings of the stomach are useful for the diagnosis of the “INAI-TEISUI”, though they give a slight different information.