2.Three Cases of Dizziness with Feelings of Coldness Effectively Treated with Tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto
Kenya INUKAI ; Mayumi MONOTO ; Takao SUNAGA
Kampo Medicine 2013;64(6):330-335
About half of Japanese women have feelings of coldness, but there is no drug for their treatment in modern medicine. Here, we report 3 cases of dizziness with feelings of coldness effectively treated with tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto. The first case was a 35-year-old female with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo,the second case was a 29-year-old female with dizziness of unknown cause, and the third case was an 80-year-old female with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. All cases were physically thin and had feelings of coldness. On Kampo medical examination, their diagnosis was Rikan-kyosho and Kekkyo. To improve feelings of coldness, we administered tokishigyakukagoshuyushokyoto to all three cases, and it was very effective. Thus, being aware of patients' coldness and using tokoshigyakukagoshuyushokyoto may be advisable when doing Kampo examinations.
3.Efficiency of Press Tack Needle to Yifeng (TE 17) in Patients with Tinnitus : Three Case Reports
Kenya INUKAI ; Takao SUNAGA ; Yoshinobu SEKI
Kampo Medicine 2017;68(1):17-22
The treatment of tinnitus is difficult with modern medicine. We encountered three cases of tinnitus for which press tack needle was effective.
The first case was a 65-year-old woman. She suffered from sudden deafness, and bilateral tinnitus continued for 5 years, at which point she consulted us. Her Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) score was 66 points. We administered press tack needle on the bilateral Yifeng (TE 17) points. Her THI score fell to 14 points after 1 month and zero points after 2 months, at which time treatment was completed. The second case was a 69-year-old man. Forty years before his initial visit, a gun was fired near his left ear, and tinnitus developed. The tinnitus repeatedly improved and aggravated. The tinnitus continued for 8 years before his initial visit. His THI score was 18. Press tack needle was administered to his Yifeng points. The THI score lowered to 2 points after 3 months. The third case was a 31-year-old woman. Her bilateral tinnitus started 15 days before her initial visit. Her THI score was 34 points. Press tack needle was administered to the bilateral Yifeng points. Her THI score dropped to 8 points after 4 months.
Press tack needle to the Yifeng points is simple and straightforward. This suggested that it is a valuable method to consider.
5.Effects of Pressure Stimulation and Acupuncture Upon the Cutaneous Sensory Spot Populations
takao sunaga ; akira shibata ; syôiti kobayasi ; akira niijima
Journal of the Japan Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion 1981;31(2):151-156
As interesting results were obtained upon testing the responses in healthy adult males (age 20-54) of cutaneous touch, pain and heat sensitive points due to pressure stimulation and acupuncture stimulation at LI-4, and cutaneous touch and pain point reactions to acupumcure stimulation at St-36, we present the following report.
Previously it was discovered that pressure at LI-4 results in 1 decrease in the touch and pain point populations on the upper extremities on the stimulated side with the numbers returning to normal when stimulation ceased. With acupuncture stimulation, during stimulation the numbert of sensory points on the arm, thoracic and shoulder of stimulated side showed a remarkable decrease in the number of pain points. Very little change occured in thenumber of touch points however. Similar results were also reported on the abdominal area of the stimulated side with stimulation at ST-36. As for acupuncture stimulation and the cutaneous sensory point populations on the opposite side, cases of demhease in the number of sensory points and cases of no change were reported. Also it was reported that during acupuncture stimulation at LI-4 the number of heat points decreased and in 1 case returned to former levels when stimulation ceased.
For this study we increased the number of subjects and studied changes in the touch and pain sensitive point populations on the opposite side using acupuncture stimulation. We also examined changes in the number of heat sensitive points during acukuncture stimulation.
Stimulation on the opposite side produced nearly the same decrease in pain point population as did stimulation on the same side, with little change observed in the touch sensitive point numbers. The change in the number of heat sensitive points during acupuncture stimulation indicated a remakable tendency for decrease, similar to results observed with pain sensitive points. These results were obtained by studests during lab sessions.
We would like to find some clinical meaning in the administration of treatment on the opposite side.
6.Development of a Quick High-Yield Method for the Preparation of Decoctions, Inspired by the “Zhu san Fa” of the Song Period (Part 2)
Tsukasa FUEKI ; Toshiaki MAKINO ; Takanori MATSUOKA ; Masashi BEPPU ; Takao SUNAGA ; Koichiro TANAKA ; Takao NAMIKI
Kampo Medicine 2016;67(2):114-122
The IPCD (Immersing Powdered Crude Drugs) method, inspired by the “zhu san fa” which was widely used in the Song period of China, has been developed to prepare Kampo decoctions quickly and easily, with highyield extract from crude drugs. One trouble with the IPCD method occurs when separating the decoction from the muddy residue of the crude drug powder. When powdered ephedra herb is packed in a nonwoven fabric bag and immersed in hot water, yield of the marker compounds is much lower than that obtained when ephedra herb powder is dispersed freely in hot water without a nonwoven fabric bag. Thus the use of a nonwoven fabric bag was shown to be unsuitable with the IPCD method. In investigating an easy and more efficient separation method, we tried decanting with a commercially available wine carafe to separate the decoction and residue. With IPCD followed by decantation using the wine carafe, yields of about 80% decoction volume were obtained as compared with those when cut crude drugs are decocted and filtered using a tea strainer, in 6 of the 7 formulas tried. We find that decantation using a wine carafe is a more practical way of separation in the IPCD method.
7.The Weights in Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu (Dun Huang Version) and the Volume of a Fang Cun Bi (One Cun Square Spoon) : Weights and Measures in the Period when the Shan Han Lun was Written
Tsukasa FUEKI ; Takanori MATSUOKA ; Toshiaki MAKINO ; Takao NAMIKI ; Masashi BEPPU ; Hidetoshi YAMAGUCHI ; Hideyuki NAKATA ; Kenshu RAI ; Keisuke HAGIHARA ; Koichiro TANAKA ; Kazuhiko NAGASAKA ; Takao SUNAGA ; I-JUNG LEE ; Kenkichi OKADA ; Yusen IWAI ; Kazuhiro MAKIZUMI
Kampo Medicine 2014;65(1):38-45
For the purpose of investigating weights in the era when the Shan Han Lun was set forth, the weight and measures described in the Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu, written in the period slightly after the Shan Han Lun, were studied. Some descriptions of the metrological standards are confusing in the Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu. We focused on the measuring container, whose volume is equal to that of the one cun square spoon (fang cun bi), shown in the dun huang version of the Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu. The volume of this measuring container was calculated on the assumption that the measures in this text follow those of the Han Shu Li Li Shi, and a result of 5.07 cm3 was obtained. The result was confirmed by using the actual measured values of the crude drugs. The result was also considered to support measurements of the volume in the Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu as following the Han Shu Li Li Shi. With those results, descriptions of the density of honey and lard were examined, and the weight in the Ben Cao Jing Ji Zhu was clarified to follow that in the Han Shu Li Li Shi.
8.The Investigation of Metrological Standard in “Songban Shanghanlun” :Focus on the Absorbed Liquid in the Decoction Residues and the Extraction Efficiency of Ephedra-alkal
Tsukasa FUEKI ; Takanori MATSUOKA ; Toshiaki MAKINO ; Takao NAMIKI ; Masashi BEPPU ; Hidetoshi YAMAGUCHI ; Hideyuki NAKATA ; Kenshu RAI ; Keisuke HAGIHARA ; Koichiro TANAKA ; Takao SUNAGA ; Kazuhiko NAGASAKA ; Kenkichi OKADA ; Yusen IWAI ; Kazuhiro MAKIZUMI
Kampo Medicine 2014;65(2):61-72
The dosage of crude drugs described in the Shanghanlun has long been discussed, and a conversion ratio for 1 liang in the Songban Shanghanlun into modern grams has not been established yet. Ekisai Kariya, a bibliologist in Edo period Japan, claimed that the formulas in the Songban Shanghanlun could not be decocted when weighed with the “Han shu (lu li zhi)” scale (1 liang = 14 g, “regular scale”), and the weight scale in the text should be “Scale of Shen nong” (1/10 scale of the regular scale). This claim leads to the standards for Kampo prescription dosages. We inspected this matter by focusing on the amount of liquid absorbed by decoction residues, and demonstrated that the formulas in Songban Shanghanlun could actually be decocted when weighed with the “regular scale”. In addition, we calculated the quantities of Ephedra-alkaloids in the one-time dose of “Ma huang tang” of the several books written in the Song period, and the Songban Shanghanlun text, with results showing that Chinese doctors in the Song period recognized 1 liang in the Songban Shanghanlun as 14 grams in modern terms, and that the “regular scale” could be applied clinically. This strongly suggests that the metrological standard in the Songban Shanghanlun should be the “regular scale”.
9.Four Cases of Patients with Skin Disorders (Atopic Dermatitis, Prurigo Gestationis, Acne Vulgaris) During Pregnancy Responded well to Tokishakuyakusan
Hiroko MOROHASHI ; Toru YANASE ; Tsukasa FUEKI ; Ichiro YAMAZAKI ; Takao SUNAGA
Kampo Medicine 2020;71(2):115-120
When female patients with skin disorders become pregnant, the treatments with the previously used antiallergic oral drugs are preferred to be switched to the treatments with external medicines alone, which often make patients experience unbearable itching and exacerbation of rashes. The use of tokishakuyakusan is known to be safe and improve various symptoms in the pregnancy period. In this report, the treatment of 4 patients with skin disorders were successfully switched to tokishakuyakusan alone from previously used antiallergic internal medicines and other traditional Japanese herbal medicines after pregnancy. Case 1 and 2 were patients with atopic dermatitis who had been treated only with the external medicine during a previous pregnancy but without amelioration. Case 3 was a patient with prurigo gestations who had rashes on the upper body trunk and complained of a strong itching sensation. Case 4 was a patient with acne vulgaris. In all cases, the rashes and itching sensation improved promptly with oral administration of tokishakuyakusan, followed by successful delivery. No side effects of gastrointestinal disorders were observed in any cases. Their skin disorders were speculated to be caused by the blood deficiency and stasis. Qi deficiency and fluid disturbance developed in association with pregnancy, which led to Yin deficiency and abundance of moisture. The positive responses of these conditions indicated that tokishakuyakusan was effective in the cases reported herein.
10.The Decocting Time and the Contents of the Aconitine-type Diester Alkaloids in the Decoctions of the Formula Containing Unprocessed Aconite Root in “Songban Shanghanlun”
Tsukasa FUEKI ; Yohei TANIMURA ; Koichiro TANAKA ; Koki CHIBA ; Takanori MATSUOKA ; Takao NAMIKI ; Kosuke FUJITA ; Takao SUNAGA ; Masashi BEPPU ; Toshiaki MAKINO
Kampo Medicine 2019;70(4):313-323
We investigated the decocting time to prepare the formulas containing unprocessed aconite root, such as shigyakuto, tsumyaku shigyakuto, and kankyobushito, which had been registered in “Shanghanlun” edited in Song Dynasty, using the weights and measures in Houhan Dynasty when the original “Shanghanlun” was regarded to have been established. Also the contents of aconitine-type diester alkaloids (ADA) eluted from unprocessed aconite root in the decoction were analyzed in time-dependent manners. As regards the modified formula for the “physically strong patients” in the texts of tsumyakushigyakuto in “Shanghanlun”, adding dried ginger was found to lead the decocting time to be shorter and the sum of ADA content in the decoction of the modified formula to increase about 20%. It was also found that the compositions of diterpene alkaloids derived from aconite root in kankyobushito decoction were highly different from those in shigyakuto decoction, containing less ADA and more aconine and hypaconine, due to the high pH of the decoction, which was the consequence of lacking glycyrrhiza in kankyobushito formula. It is suggested that the doctors in the era of “Shanghanlun” establishment may have carefully adjusted the contents of ADA in the decoctions using unprocessed aconite root by choosing co-decocted crude drugs.