The basic law on measures regarding public nuisances in Japan was enacted in March 1967. In this act, public nuisance included air pollution, water contamination, noise, vibration, offensive odors and ground subsidence. According to this act, the government is obligated to establish environmental standards with regard to air pollution, water contamination and noise. The standard for Sulphur Oxides was established by the government in 1969. Standards and procedures leading to establishment of this standard were examined by the author and found unsatisfactory for the protection of the people's health. The reasons can be stated as follows:
1. Initially, the technical committee on Environmental Standards submitted recommendations on threshold values of sulphur concentration index.
0.05ppm for one hour value averaged 24 hours.
0.1ppm for one hour value (One hour value means the average concentration of each sample made hourly by sampling of the air).
These threshold values were derived from the epidemiological research and were determined to be the minimum requirement for the protection of the people's health.
2. The committee of Living Environment, that is the advisory committee of the Welfare Minister, established the Standard for Sulphur Oxides. This was done under the pressure of private enterprises and this standard was found to be inconsistent with the recommendations.
3. The author et al found that the limiting values of the Standard expressed by percentile were discrepant after being statistically researched on the data of Osaka and Amagasaki cities.
4. It is the author's suggestion that scientific circles shall establish criterion and standards for each kind of pollution independently of governmental authorities.

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Different theories have been proposed as to the original causes of Myopia. These include heavy literary work, heredity, eye strain as well as some kinds of illumination and the habits of sleeping. Other theories have proven negative. Since the end of World War II the percentage of myopic students has increased with a present percentage of 15%. This includes the upper class student of primary schools, 28% and over for all junior high school students, 39% and over for all senior high school students, 50% and over for all college and university students.
Recently physical examination data has been obtained which had been continued all through the war. This data contrasted with nation wide statistical data of physical examinations collected by the Dept. of Education enabled examination of each raw regression coefficient and the standard regression coefficient of the transition of Myopia. This was divided into the three periods of Prewar-Wartime and Postwar. The result was a mutual relationship between an annual change and occurrence in Prewar days as well as Wartime. It showed from -0.37 to -1.00 standard regression coefficient except for primary school students in agricultural districts. This tendency was especially remarkable regarding junior high school students upwards.
On the contrary, in Postwar days the mutual relation reveals from 0.74 to 0.99 in remore locations the occurrence rate is decreasing in recent years.
In view of these findings it has been concluded that Myopia conditions can be attributed to reading and studying habits rather than a nourishment or illumination situation.

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Physiological analysis has already been made on the characteristic pattern of the ability of concentration maintenance as to the brain waves, especially the alpha wave. The purpose of this study is to investigate the inherent level of the TAF in relation to H-wave recovery curve which is considered as an indicator of the excitability level of the spinal motoneurone.
Thirty seven examinees, all healthy male medical students, were administered the TAF-test and the recording of H-wave recovery curve from the right lower extremity. According to the values of TAF-L the examinees were classified into two groups, excellent in TAF-L of 0.28 to 1.08 and inferior in TAF-L of 1.29 to 2.00. The recovery rate in H-wave was higher in the excellent group at the time intervals of 70, 80, 90 and 100 msec between the first conditioning shock and the second test shock compared with that of the inferior group.
Eccles et al indicate that the spinal motoneurones consist of two kinds of neurone, tonic and phasic, and the duration of after-hyper-polarization is 130 to 200 msec in the tonic motoneurone and 50 to 110 msec in the phasic one. Granit et al observed that the distribution of the tonic and phasic ventral horn cells in cat extensors is 47% and 53% respectively.
Our experiment revealed that the excellent group showed a significantly higher response to the second shock than that of the inferior group at the time intervals from 70 to 100 msec which are contained in the process of after-hyper-polarization, or the relative refractory period. This fact suggests that the inherent level of the TAF may have a certain relationship with the excitability level of the spinal motoneurone, that is, the distribution of tonic and phasic motoneurones in the spinal ventral horn cells as well as the control from the higher nervous system.

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Digital pulse volume and digital arterial inflow were measured using a mechanical plethysmography on 16 normal subjects, 17 patients with oedema and swelling of fingers as well as 15 patients with neurovascular syndroms.
Higher pulse volume amplitude and increased digital blood flow were obtained in normal subjects compared with those of patients.
A statistically significant correlation was noted between pulse wave volume and arterial inflow not only in normal subjects but also in two patients groups.
The digital pulse volume, therefore, appeared to be reliable as an indicator of the peripheral blood flow as well as the digital arterial inflow.

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The present paper is concerned with the interrelationship of measurement values among 9 factors, i. e. height, sitting height, weight, circumference of chest and arm, pulse rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure, and is meant to determine whether or not the relationship will change as age advances. Subjects were 6, 718 male and 9, 020 female over twenty years, drawn at random from all over the country, in May 1962.
The coefficients of correlation in the relationship according to sex and age are as follows:
(1) Change by aging of the coefficient of correlation was demonstrated in the relationship among systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure. No change was observed in other relationships.
(2) With respect to the coefficient of correlation not observed in age advance, a certain constant relationship was seen among these characters, even in the case of each value of characters changed by aging.
(3) With respect to the relationship among these factors, the interrelationship among height, sitting height, and weight is likely to be associated with the interrelationship among weight, circumference of chest, and circumference of arm, as a point of contact of weight. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure are associated with weight, circumference of chest, and circumference of arm, and pulse rate slightly with systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
(4) No remarkable differences were observed between male and female concerning these factors.

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Non-ashing measurement of fluoride in biological samples is recently being developed by using the fluoride electrode. Analytical results of dental enamel and ashed bone are compared in Table 1 by the direct electrode method and the La-Alizarin Complexon solvent extraction method combined with the micro-diffusion technique. There were no differences between the values determined by two methods.
Fish-meal was analyzed for fluoride, omitting the standard procedure of ashing and distillation. The optimal pH of acid for fluoride extraction was lower than pH 1.2.
Table 4 and 5 show the results of analyses of mineralized tissues and soil performed by ashing and without ashing. The ashed materials always revealed higher values than the non-ashed one. The difference was minor in enamel but considerably large in dentine. In soil, the water extractable fluoride was only ½-¼ of total fluoride found after ashing.

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Ten employees working in three shifts at an iron foundry were under survey. Workers were engaged in each shift for five days. Diurnal change of the sublingual temperature was determined for a successive 20 days in summer as well as in winter.
Regardless of season, diurnal change of body temperature in workers on the first shift (7:30-15:30) revealed a similar pattern to that of men in an ordinary routine.
In the second (15:30-22:30) and the third (22:30-7:30) shifts, however, body temperatures rose at night. Body temperature was higher at 7 a.m. on the third shift, compared to other shifts. It was subsequently striking that an amplitude of the diurnal change was narrow in this shift. Under the circumstances, there were some working for more than 8 years, whose body temperature was lower in the afternoon than in the morning. It can therefore be inferred that biological rhythm is prone to synchronize with the rhythmic pattern of the mode of living of these particular workers. For the most part, however, no inversion of the rhythmic change was seen on night-shift work.
On each shift, the mean temperature on a day tended to be higher in summer than in winter, and, especially, a significant difference between seasons was observed on the third shift.
In its mean and variance, an amplitude of diurnal change had the tendency to lessen on the third shift compared to other shifts regardless of season.

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In a restricted area of the northern part of Okayama Prefecture, Yubara Town, an outbreak of SMON (subacute myelo-optico-neuropathy) was observed from the beginning of 1967. An epidemiological investigation has been made on this outbreak and the results are as follows:
(1) Concentration of cases occurred in the summer of 1968, though cases have been reported sporadically in the area from the beginning of 1967. The incidence ratio against the population was 659/100, 000 during 22 months.
(2) The incidence was the highest in summer and the ratio in females was 3 times higher than in males. Concerning age group, males showed a peak in the thirties, whereas in females many cases were evident between the twenties and sixties.
(3) Relatively enclosed districts are apt to expand over a period of time. Cases which occurred in neighboring families as well as those within the same families tend to give the impression that the disease coule be infectious.
(4) Among the cases, a close contact relation was observed.
(5) Physical exhaustion before the onset of the disease was observed to be 43.2% among the total cases.
(6) In occupational analysis, a higher rate was revealed among workers who had close human relations such as hospital workers and public service personnel.
(7) The tendency to other diseases of the nervous system as well as those of the digestive organs was checked by inspecting receipts of the National Health Insurance from the beginning of 1965. Nothing related to SMON was recognized before the outbreak.
(8) Diseases of the intestinal tract and tonsillitis were observed in higher rates in the history of the patients.
(9) The investigation of environmental conditions has revealed the fact that there is a higher rate of incidence in families who do not use service water compared to those who do.

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Investigations have been pursued on patients ranging from the time of onset of illness until their re-entry into society. The period of investigation covers 1962-1967. Total number of patients were 2, 000 who has been admitted by internists and surgeons in 21 hospitals in Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo and Shiga Prefectures.
Investigation procedures were, firstly personal interview covering onset of illness, admission and period under medical treatment, secondly personal communication after 1-3-6-12 months respectively following discharge. In addition, doctor of the hospitals were requested to inform their opinion on the following items:
A. Timing of admissions
B. Patient's condition at discharge
C. Necessity of medical care after discharge
The following conclusions can be drawn from the foregoing facts:
(1) Each patient should be given the choice of Doctor and should follow this doctor's instructions regarding reference to specialists and treatment at proper time.
(2) In order for patients to receive effective medical treatment the function of medical facilities should be differentiated and in addition these facilities should work in close co-operation with one another.
(3) Regarding to post-discharge medical follow-up, it should be pointed out that prevention rather than treatment is the point which should be stressed. As prevention is closely related to their residential lives the medical facilities in the respective areas should be made responsible.
(4) In order that patients enter into society adequately, care as well as socio-economic assistance are necessary after discharge. As for patients under continued medical treatment at home, social services should provide visting nurses as well as home helpers.

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It has been suggested that Cd causing “Itai-itai” disease came from the mine factory situated on the Jinzu River and was carried from there by the river water.
To confirm the evidence of that suggestion, soil samples from the rice fields whose water is supplied by the Jinzu River were collected and analysed for Cd, Pb and Zn.
The results are as follows:
1. The rice field soil whose water is supplied by the Jinzu River contains higher Cd, Pb and Zn than that of other neighbouring rivers.
2. In a patch of rice field watered from the Jinzu River, the concentration of heavy metals in the soil is at the highest degree near the water-inlet point of the field and in the upper layer of the rice field ground, a higher concentration is found than in other deeper layers of the soil. Statistical analysis of heavy metals in the soil suggest there are at least two accumulation mechanisms.
3. The “Itai-itai” disease epidemic district corresponds to the area in which the rice field soil contains heavy metals to a high degree.
It may be concluded that the high degree of concentration of heavy metals (including Cd) in the district has been carried in the water from the Jinzu River.

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The author conducted a survey of two acetaldehyde factories, two soda factories and a vinyl chloride factory regarding mercury contamination.
At each step of the waste disposal at factories, concentration of the total mercury and methylmercury was determined.
1. In the process of acetaldehyde synthesis from acetylene using a mercury catalyst, 0.100.93ppm of methylmercury was found as the by-product in hot wash water for distillating crude acetaldehyde. After an effective disposal of waste water, methylmercury was no longer detected in the final remains of waste water. However, safe disposal of sludge in sedimentation ponds containing much methylmercury will be the serious problem in the future.
2. At the soda factory, waste water contained a total mercury of one tenth that of the aldehyde factory with no methylmercury detectable.
3. The sludge (so-called brine mud) precipitated and filtered from the circulating brine contained 40200ppm of total mercury and around 0.001ppm of methylmercury.
Safe disposal of sludge remains for future study.
4. In the process of vinyl chloride monomer synthesis from acetylene, 0.010.11ppm of total mercury was found in alkaline wash water from the reaction tower, of which 0.001ppm was detected to be methylmercury.
5. In each factory, the final waste water flowing into the river contained less than 0.01ppm of mercury with no detectable methylmercury at the time of survey in 196668.
However checking of concentration alone is not reliable as the reduction of mercury concentration is possible by dilution in non-contaminated water.
Therefore, the total quantity of mercury flowing into the river per day or per month is the key point for surveillance.

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The author conducted the survey for mercury on the bottom mud and fish in the Oyabe River, as well as fish in other control and contaminated rivers in Japan.
1. Total mercury content in the bottom mud of the Oyabe River was higher in the industrial area on the lower stream, than in the upper stream area.
It may be attributed to previous contamination by waste water from factories.
2. The results of three different surveys over a two year period (196869) revealed that the average level of total mercury in flesh of the Oyabe River's fish was 0.77ppm.
The bottom-living Namazu (Catfish) showed the highest concentration among fish, i.e. 1.10ppm of total mercury and 0.66ppm of methylmercury.
3. There was a considerable amount of mercury even in the fish of non-contaminated rivers, and the higher the total mercury concentration, the higher the level of organic mercury. Generally speaking the mercury level in river fish was higher than that of marine fish.
4. Fish in the Hono River and the Shokotsu Rivers which are flowing in a mercury mine area showed particularly high levels of mercury.
5. In fish of several rivers, ethyl mercury was also found, the Ugui (Dace) of the Jinzu River contained an extraordinary high level of ethyl-mercury.
The cause of this contamination has as yet not been determined.

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Methylmercury level in the hair of 37 members of fishermen's union the middle Oyabe River area was 6.20±4.73ppm, the highest value being 20.2ppm.
The subjects corresponded to those who were eating much river fish every day which contained considerably high level of methylmercury.
2. The Tokyo citizen contained 1.86±1.24ppm (n=17) of methylmercury in his hair, while in helicopter pilotes and the group of vegetarians it was 4.11 and 1.73ppm respectively.
3. The highest level of methylmercury in marketed marine fish was found in Tuna (Maguro) and Yellowtail (Burl) as around 0.4ppm while coastal and inland sea fish contained a negligible amount of methylmercury regardless of possible industrial contamination.
4. Corpses of Tokyo citizens who died suddenly of various causes contained several ppm of methylmercury in the hair while the concentration in organs was far less, namely 0.01ppm in the brain and 0.020.03ppm in the liver and kidney.
5. The author considered hair to be one of excretory places for organic mercury, being concentrated from circulating blood into an inert form.

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