Abstract
In order to learn the influence of hot water baths, which are very common in our daily living environment, on the disease resisting function observed from the view point of the functions of reticuloendothelial system, hot water baths at 45°C, warm water baths at 37°C, lukewarm water baths at 31°C and cold water baths at 18°C were given to healthy adult males for 5 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes, and the fluctuation in the carbon particle phagocytosis of the neutrophile leucocytes were examined before and after the baths, and 1, 3 and 5 hours after the baths. The fluctuations in the number of circulating eosinophile leucocytes and in the pulse rate were also investigated. The followings are the brief outline of the results thus obtained.
1. In the cases of hot water bath, the phagocytic function diminished after a bath given for even as short as 5 minutes. Especially, when the baths were given for 10-15 minutes, remarkable diminution was recorded immediately after the bath was given, and no trend of recovery was noted even 5 hours after the bath.
2. In the cases of warm water bath, almost no fluctuation was recorded after the bath for 5 minutss. A bath given for 10-15 minutes enhanced the phagocytic function of leucocytes immediately after the bath, and this trend was maintained even 5 hours after the bath. In other words, the disease resisting function observed from the view point of the phagocytosis of leucocytes was enhanced by a warm water bath given for 10-15 minutes.
3. In the cases of lukewarm water bath and cold water bath, almost no fluctuation was recorded when such a bath was given for 5 minutes, but, a slight diminution of the phagocytic function of leucocytes was noted when given for 10-15 minutes.
4. The fluctuation in the number of circulating eosinophile leucocytes demonstrated almost the same trend as that of the phagocytic function of leucocytes.
5. Only in the cases of hot water bath, the pulse rate was noted influenced. Especially when a bath was given for 15 minutes, the pulse rate reached as high as 180 per minute, giving a heavy burden to the circulatory system. Otherwise, almost no effect of the baths was recognized.
