抄録
A study, made in a series of our researches in the relation between hot spring bathing or drinking and the functions of digestive organs, on the effect of hot spring drinking on bacilli in the digestive tract has led to the following conclusion:
1. Effect of various hot spring waters on anaerobes in vitro:
Hot spring waters from Tamagawa Spa and Genzo-yu which are strongly acid are effective in inhibiting the growth of anaerobes in vitro, while that from Unagi-yu, which is alkaline, hot spring water in our hospital which is neutral, and physiological saline solution are almost ineffective in inhibiting their growth.
As to the bacteriocidal effect of hot spring water on anaerobes in the feces in vitro, it may be said that Tamagawa Spa which is strongly acid stands at the top, followed by Genzo-yu, and hardly any bacteriocidal effect can be observed in hot spring water from Unagi-yu, the hot spring water in our hospital, and physiological saline solution. In other words, it is clear that it depends upon pH of a particular hot spring whether it is strong or not in its inhibiting action of the growth and bacteriocidal effect on anaerobes.
It has something to do with pH value as well as the components of the hot spring that Tamagawa Spa and Genzo-yu which are strongly acid are slightly weaker in inhibiting action of growth and slightly stronger in bacteriocidal action than dilute hydrochloric acid solution and dilute sulphuric acid solution which are adjusted to the same pH value.
2. Effect of hot spring drinking on pH in the digestive tract: pH in the stomach is clearly influenced by hot spring water, first by pH of the hot spring water taken in, but it soon settles to a definite pH of the stomah in each individual.
Hot spring water taken in is rapidly diluted mainly by the counter current of the duodenal juice, partially by the mechanism of gastric secretion, and acts merely as a stimulus for the secretion of gastric juice. It may be said that pH in the duodenum is hardly affected by the intake of hot spring water, though it shows a tendency to be affected by strongly acid hot spring. No effect is observed of the hot spring water on pH in the lower intestines. Successive intake of hot spring water can not affect greatly pH in the digestive tract.
3. Effect of hot spring drinking on anaerobes in the digestive tract:
A close relation is seen to exist between the effect of hot spring drinking on anaerobes in the digestive tracts and the variation of pH value in it, and it seems impossible for them to live below pH 2.0. As anaerobes in the stomach are directly susceptible to the action of hot spring water taken in, they tend to decrease at the initial stage of the intake of strongly acid hot spring, but the effect is only temporary, and the decrease is much less than in vitro.
No effect can be observed of the successive drinking of hot spring water on anaerobes in the digestive tracts below the stomach, and it will not disturb the physiological distribution of anaerobes in the digestive tracts.
