Prof. Oshima presented a survey of studies on the drinking of radioactive spring water, in a special lecture at 13th annual meeting of the Japanese Balneo-Climatological Association, in 1948.
In taking charge of a symposium upon “the drinking of hot spring water”, the author carried out experiments on the following aspects of the large subjects:
I. The distribution of uranium in animal tissues after the ingestion of water containing uranium.
II. The effect of the internal use of radioactive hot spring water at Misasa Spa on various functions of the body.
I. It has been established that spring water at Misasa Spa contains up to 20γ/l. of uranium. The author examined the distribution of uranium in animal tissues after the ingestion of water containing uranium. 48 hours after water containing uranium was ingested, uranium was found in the kidney and the bone marrow, and amount of uranium in the kidney was about 0.2% of the ingested uranium. After the uraniumcontaining water had been administered for 45 days, uranium was found in the kidney and its amount was about 0.2% of ingested uranium, as in the above experiment.
II. After the ingestion of radioactive spring water, the distribution of radioactive substances such as radon, radium and others in body tissues and the elimination of those substances from the body were studied by Strasburger, Markl and others; and they concluded that it is necessary to maintain the concentration of radioactivity over 2900×10-10C./l. calculated as radon in water in order to obtain a favourable effect from the drinking of radioactive spring water. The concentration of radioactive material studied in the Misasa spring water is 1720-2330×10-10C./l. The followings are the chief mineral constituents of the water(Table 2).
Effect on gastric secretory and motor functions.
The author investigated the influence of the drinking of radioactive spring water upon the secretory and motor functions of the stomach. After the contents of the fasting stomach had been aspirated by the Rehfuss tube, 300ml, of spring water or plain water as a control were poured into the stomach. The contents of the stomach were aspirated at 20 minute intervals, and free and total acidity of the aspirated gastric juice were determined. In general, the ingestion of the spring water had a mildly stimulating effect on secretion of gastric acid, and inhibited the hyperacidity. This may explain the seemingly beneficial effect of naturally radon-containing alkaline saline Misasa spring waters on the gastric function of patients with acid indigestion. By fluoroscopy, 11 human subjects were examined using 200g. of BaSO4 dissolved in 500ml, of radioactive spring water or plain water at 38°C. in temperature. The incidence of subjects with fishhook stomach increased with spring water (plain water: 64%, spring water: 73%), and that of steerhorn shaped stomach decreased (plain water: 36%, spring water: 72%). Gastric tonus is not altered by spring water. Peristalsis of the stomach was normalised by the drinking of spring water (hyperperistalsis is depressed and hypoperistalsis is exaggerated). Spring water hastens gastric emptying.
Effect on glucose tolerance in diabetic rabbits.
The glucose tolerance curve in alloxan diabetic rabbits were determined initially, at the 2nd and 6th week in the course of this experiment. Thirty ml. of test water per kg, of bodyweight was ingested daily for a period of 6 weeks. The drinking of spring water inhibited the alimentary hyperglycemia slightly: thus radioactive spring water should be used internally for the treatment of diabetes mellitus as adjuvant.
Effect on contraction of the gallbladder.
Six tablets of the telepaque were given in the evening and roentgenography was performed in the following morning, then after 30 minutes the patients ingested 500ml, of spring water, fluoroscopic examinat
