A type distribution survey of A Group Streptococci was conducted cooperatively with twelve institutions including hospitals and public health laboratories in Japan. Six hundred eighty strains of Streptococcus pyogenes were collected, of which 506 were mainly from scarlet fever patients and 174 were from healthy carriers. The alteration of the patterns of main predominant types for the past six years was also depicted.
While type 4 strain has gradually been decreasing for the past six years, type 6 strain had once increased to such an extent that the replacement of the former with the latter was about to happen. Being suppressed, however, by the rapid uprise of type 12 strain, type 6 strain has come to decrease again since 1967, thus permitting type 1- and type 2 str ins come to the front to cover the room corresponding to the depression of type 4- and type 6 strains.
In April 1968 to March 1969 type 12 representing the absolute predominance (36.9%) for the period was attended by four other principal types 4, 6, 22 and 1. These types were with a slight difference in percentage, almost evenly distributed and seemed to compete with each other, thus exhibiting a trend of multipolarity.
The isolation of B3264 and 5/27/44 seemed to be a characteristic of the group of our healthy cartiers. Despite the predominance of type 12 strain we seldom encountered nephritis cases or related syndromes.

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This study was conducted on the cases of subcute myelo-optico-neuropathy (SMON) with abdominal signs from the aspects of its etiology. The endemic region studied was a part of Ibara-shi in Okayama Prefecture with special reference to two cases of mother and her daughter. The results of this investigation are briefly summarized as follows.
1) This community has the population of 133 living in 28 homes. During the period of April, 1968 to April, 1969 there developed 6 cases (3 males, 3 females) of SMON in this district. In addition, there was one case who came from Okayama City to take care of a SMON-patient. Of them two female patients died.
2) The sources of drinking water used by the residents of this community are the water from the well within the residence compound (17 homes) and the spring water located at the mid-slope of a hill (11 homes). In the group using the spring water there were 5 cases while only one case in the group taking the water from their own well, the incidence being significantly higher in the former group. The three cases of the spring water group occurred within the short period of April 16 to May 10, 1968, and these seem to be the primary cases. One case of the well water group developed the disease on March 24, 1969, being considerably later than the onset of the former group. From these findings it is assumed that the spring water seems to contain the causative factor. In the examinations of water components the spring water, the source where man hardly approaches, has been found to contain Escherichia coli. This seems to suggest the contamination by wild animals rather than by man.
3) Two cases attending severe patients developed the disease within one month but both proved to be mild cases.
4) A 34-year old female patient who died within one year after the onset had symptoms such as movement-sensory paralysis in the lower half of the body, disturbance of sight, and in final stage, dysarthria, difficulty of swallowing and respiratory paralysis, culminating in death. Her autopsy findings revealed typical subcute myelo-optico-neuropathy (SMON) showing extensive degeneration in the posterior and lateral columns.

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We observed the status of Candida albicnas in the gut during the time of use of antibiotics, steroids and anticancer agents and, furthermore, discussed the effect of Amphocycline (tetracycline hydrochloride and amphotericin B in combination) on Candida albicans in the gut.
Of 49 patients receiving no antibiotics, steroids or anticancer agents, 15 (30%) were found to have Candida albicans in the gut. On the other hand, 50%(34/60) of a group receiving antibiotics alone, 53.5%(15/28) of a group receiving steroids alone, 73.3%(11/15) of a group receiving anticancer agents alone, 65%(13/29) of a group receiving antibiotics and steroids together, and 67.7%(2/3) of a group re ceiving anticancer agents and steroids together were found to have Candida albicans in the gut. Thus, there were significant differences noted between the groups receiving and not receiving chemotherapeutic agents.
Amphocycline was administered to 14 patients positive for Candida albicans in feces. (12 cases), in sputa (1) and in urines (1), with the result that all but one became negative for Candida albicans.
Also, the drug was administered to patients negative for Candida albicans in feces with the result that no candidal effects related to Amphocycline were observed in any of them.
From above results, Amphocycline is regarded as recommendable in candidiasis noted as floral replacements or termnal-stage severe infections during the time of use of antibiotics, sterods and/or antiicancer agents.

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[in Japanese]

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