The method of biological monitoring of the exposure to organic solvents by means of urinalysis is discussed. The topics include the variety of the solvents to which the method of monitoring is applicable, choice of time for urine sampling, possible correction of the results for urine density, and establishment of the biological threshold. Recent progress is reviewed in particular, in the cases of benzene, toluene, xylenes, styrene, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene and 1, 1, 1trichloroethane.

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In order to prevent maternal rubella infection, serum antibody titers for rubella were estimated in a total of 965 female office workers residing in the vicinities of Tokyo and Osaka using hemagglutinationinhibition test. Approximately 40% of the young women tested were then observed to be susceptible to the disease, and the percentage was not apparently changed by a large rubella epidemic which occurred while our research proceeded, suggesting the necessity to attain immunization in the susceptible before pregnancy. By our surveillance on the occurrence of rubella infection over one-year period among the women having received the serologic test, we found a particular case, where a titer of 1:8, being considered to be the immunized level, had been determined. The finding indicates that vaccination should be aimed at the persons having the titer of 1:8 as well as of <1:8. Attenuated live rubella-virus vaccine was administered to 42 volunteers susceptible to the disease, and their serum titers were estimated again about one year after the inoculation. Then, the vaccination proved effective in 41 of the vaccinees but one who was found still susceptible by unknown reason.

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Cold water immersion tests on the patients suffering from the vibration disease have been carried out without paying any attention to seasons. In studying cold water immersion test, a method is generally used of measuring the finger tip skin temperature (Ts) by immersing one hand up to the wrist in the cold water at 5°C, 10°C and 15°C for ten minutes. It is well-known that there is a seasonal variation in Ts by immersing the middle finger in the ice water at 0°C. It is not yet defined, however, whether there is a seasonal variation of Ts when the immersion tests on the patients suffering from the vibration disease have been carried out by the method mentioned above. Therefore, the seasonal variation of Ts immersed in the cold water was studied by exactly the same method stated above. In order to study the seasonal variation four months were chosen, i.e. August (summer), October (fall), February (winter) and May (spring). Six male persons were the subjects of the investigation. The results obtained might be summarized as follows: A. Ts before immersion 1) Ts before immersion was at the highest in summer and at the lowest in winter, and was closely related to the outdoor temperature. 2) Ts in fall and in spring showed some difference between them in spite of the outdoor temperatures which were almost the same. 3) Namely, Ts in fall which was lower than Ts in spring was rather similar to Ts in winter, where as Ts in spring was similar to Ts in summer. B. Ts during immersion and recovery The same tendency described above was recognized in Ts during and after the immersion. That is to say, the difference in Ts between fall or winter and summer or spring is as follows: 1) The degree of the drop in Ts immediately after the start of the immersion was greater in summer and spring than that in fall and winter. 2) The mean of the finger tip skin temperatures of the immersed finger was higher in summer and spring than that in fall and winter. 3) The lowest Ts during immersion was higher in summer and spring than that in fall and winter and the time taken to show the lowest Ts was shorter, compared with that in fall and winter. 4) The frequency of the appearance of cold-induced vasodilation (CIVD) was higher in summer and spring than that in fall and winter. 5) Recovery of Ts after immersion in summer and spring was more speedy than that in fall and winter. 6) The higher the water temperature, the lower was the frequency of appearance of CIVD and the slower was the recovery of Ts after immersion. Furthermore, the seasonal variations were clearly showen. In addition, cold pains during immersion were felt more strongly in summer and spring than in fall and winter. When the variation in the water temperature is considered, cold pains were felt more strongly the lower the water temperature. Therefore, enough consideration should be given to the variation of seasons and the water temperature in studying the function of the peripheral circulation through the one hand immersion method in the cold water.

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In 1971 and 1973, Yoshida, et al. reported a higher relative risk of urinary bladder cancer among the workers of dyeing factories in Kyoto city. In order to confirm thjs, death certificates in Kyoto city from 1969 to 1972 were retrospectively investigated. Kyoto city was devided into three areas, that is, areas with high, medium and low clusterings of dyeing factories, and the differences of the mortality rates of a11 causes of deaths among these three areas were examined. As a result of this study, a statistically significant difference of the mortality rate of bladder cancer could not be found for males. But, the relative risk of bladder cancer in the areas with high and medium clusterings of dyeing factories compared to the area with low was found to be l.45. Therefore, the reIationship between dyeing work and bladder cancer could not necessarily be denied. It is, thus, necessary to carry out a prospective study, by which a more precise result can be obtained. In addition, our study revealed a significantly high mortality rate of skin cancer among the areas with high and medium clusterings of dyeing factories for males, observing a relative risk of 3.88. The observed association between skin cancer and dyeing work should be further studied.

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