A mass incidence was experienced in a sanatorium, Saishunso in January 1958. Twenty one strains were isolated by the authors out of 28 patients during the 6 days from 19 to 24 January. With these strains, classification into P and Q phase virus, virus excretion period and shift of serum antibody titer were investigated. The results were as follows:
1) Out of 28 patients examined by the authors, the infection of influenza Asia was serologically verified with 27 ones. All the strains, the isolation of which was relatively easy, was identified as Asian type. The isolation rate was 75%.
2) The influenza viruses were isolated from the mouth washings of the patients until the 8th day of illness. Three strains isolated from one patient had the same structure and were P phase virus.
3) In localized mass incidences as well as in general epidemics, P and Q phase viruses have been recognized. Since the first outbreak in 1957, P phase virus is increasing and that of Q phase decreasing, though the distribution of both viruses is different from epidemic to epidemic.
4) The serum HI antibody increased until the 30th day of the disease and decreased gradually thereafter, but even after 6 months a moderate antibody titer was found.
5) Correlation of the virus form and P, Q phase was not observed.

View full abstract

In the present studies, the productivity of the antibody following immunization by dead and living cells of various types of Brucella was compared with each other electropholetically and by means of the agglutinin reaction, together with experiments for immunological effects of the dead and living cells as well as some remarks about the inhibitory zone phenomenon which appeared specifically in Brucella.
1) In goat, high antibody titers were attained rapidly within a short period of time, being independent to the amount of the living and dead cells inoculated.
2) In the dead cells vaccination, a constant maintainace of the antibody was found during the course of the repeated vaccinations with the dead cells, but the antibody began to decrease with the lapse of days after a single vaccination, and was found to begin to decrease rapidly after discontinuation of the repeated vaccinations.
3) It was found that high antibody titers were found in vaccination with the living cells.
4) The inhibitory zone phenomenon was always demonstrated in case of repeated vaccinations with the dead cells, and was especially significant in case of agglutination with the antigen of the living cells. No inhibitory zone phenomenon was found in sera after discontinuation of the repeated vaccinations as well as after a single vaccination.
5) No inhibitory zone phenomenon was found to occur in vaccination with the living cells.
6) Such an inhibitory zone phenomenon is regarded as a result of hyperproduction of the antibody, and seemed to occur after the appearance of a reaction inhibiting substance which resembles the specific antibody.
7) Decrease in albumin levels as well as increase in globulin levels were found after the oneset of vaccination with the dead cells, though they recovered respectively, to the normal values, with the lapse of days after the vaccination.
8) Total protein levels do not always increase following vaccination with the dead cells, but was found to increase following vaccination with the living cells.
9) No change in α₁-α₂ globulin levels was found following vaccination with the dead or living cells.
10) Parallel increase of β-globulin and γ-globulin levels was found following vaccination with the dead cells, both levels having begun to decrease or return to the normal values after discontinuation of the vaccination.
11) Parallel increase of β-globulin and γ-globulin levels was found following vaccination with the living cells, and a constant high level in both kinds of globulin was maintained for a long period.
12) No immunological effects were found in case of vaccination with the dead cells. This fact seems to result from that the γ-globulin levels tended to return to the normal value within a short period after the vaccination.

View full abstract

Of 1, 240 specimens of the pharyngeal secretion taken from the throat of the men, candida was positive in 129 (10.4%).
Of 239 specimens of the pharyngeal secretion taken from the throat of patients suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis, candida was positive in 53 (23.9%).
The rate was highest in infancy.
Candida was not sensitive against antibiotics except trichomycin.
C. albicans proved pathogenic against rabbits.

View full abstract

Sero-epidemiological observation of J.B.E. by means of blood test for whole inhabitants of a rural village in Toyama Prefecture was made continuousely from 1951 to 1954.
The geographical spread of positive reactors of complement fixation test (C.F.T.) as well as its relation to social and living environments were obtained from statistical analysis of the results.
The statistical analysis was made on the following items.
1) Birthplace
2) Occupation
3) Area of farmland (sq. meter)
4) Density of houses
5) Any ditch around houses, or not.
6) Drain of sewage
7) Lighting facilities of house
8) Ventilation degree of house
9) Any rice-straw storage in house, or not.
10) Under the fioor, open or closed.
11) Any domestic animal, or not.
12) Many mosquitoes and flies, or few.
13) Any bird nest inside or outside the house, or not.
Substantially high percentage of positive reactor was recognized among those who are residing in the area with low density of house whereas no significant remarks were observed in any other relations such as social and living environments.
As the next observation, the whole tested area was divided into 100 M2 unit areas on the map and number of positive reactors were plotted by means of zone plotting.
From the above plotting, it was found that the number of positive reactors or its percentage decreases in inverse proportion to the density of houses in a unit area.
It was also noted that the tendency stated in the above paragraph is accelerated proportionally to the accuracy in its statistical observation.
The familial aggregation of C.F.T. positive reactors was also analysed statistically by dividing them into two groups i. e., high density of house and low density.
It was clearly indicated in both groups that the actual frequency rate of positive reactors closely resembles the theoretical plotting frequency computed from binominal distribution.
As mentioned, it is now proved sero-epidemiologically that inasmuch as there is a premises that the same rate of mosquito is inhabited in any unit of area, there should be a high infection rate as well as high rate of exposure to mosquito for those who are residing in comparatively low density of residential houses in the unit of area.
As a conclusion it should be said that all the aforementioned observations epidemiologically confirmed that the possible prevailing channel of J.B.E. is a common vehicle, probably mosquitoes as set forth in “Mosquito Transmission Theory”.

View full abstract

Two hundred sixty seven patients of bacillary dysentery were clinically observed and repeatedly examined by the sigmoidoscopy. In addition to the sigmoidoscopic obsevations, mucous membranes taken by biopsy of rectum were microscopically investigated.
1) Sigmoidoscopic findings of bacillary dyseetery were classified into two groups: Early, acute findings and convalescent findings.
2) Compared with improvement of clinical symptoms, the healing process of sigmoidoscopic findings was delayed considerably.
3) According to the improvement of sigmoidoscopic findings, all cases were classified into two groups:
a) group of rapid healing
b) group of prolonged healing
4) Factors, which have influences on the improvement of sigmoidoscopic findings were investigated.
a) No correlations between the healing process and the sex of patient or type of Shigella were recognized.
b) In patients of over 50 years of age, the healing process of sigmoidoscopic- indings was mostly prolonged.
c) The healing tendency of sigmoidoscopic findings in cases treated without: antibiotics were not as favorable as in those treated with antibiotics.
5) The improvement of sigmoidoscopic findings, “rapid healing” or “prolonge healing”, was reflected in the healing process of clinical symptoms as “complete healing” or “incomplete”.
6) Histologically, biopsy materials indicated findings, which were never found in autopsy materials.

View full abstract

The serum iron level was determined by means of Matsubara method with 30 healthy persons as contrast and with 45 diphtheria patients (5 times before and after the therapy, in total 238 times) treated at the Komagome Hospital from August 1956 to March 1957.
The results were as follows:
1) Healthy persons:
The serum iron level ranged in adult males from 92 mcg/dl to 169 mcg/dl, the average being 127.5 mcg/dl. In adult females from 86 mcg/dl to 162 mcg/dl, the average 116.0 mcg/dl. In infants from 82 mcg/dl to 153 mcg/dl, the average 114.4 mcg/dl. The normal range of infant serum iron level was fixed by the author for the present at 80-160 mcg/d1.
2) A fall of serum iron level was recognized at the beginning of the diphtheria disease, without demonstrating any strict relation to the day of illness.
3) Concerning the shift of serum iron level in various types of the disease, the patients of nasal diphtheria showed the normal range of value without any fall at the onset, whereas the majority of pharyngeal, nasopharyngeal and laryngeal diphtheria patients demonstrated a fall of serum level in this stage.
4) According to the severity of the disease, some slight cases demonstrated no decline of serum iron at the beginning, whereas all the moderate and severe cases demonstrated a decline at this time.
5) The severe cases tended to require many days to recover to the normal iron level.
6) The fall of the serum iron level observed at the beginning gradually recovered by the therapy in 3 days to the normal level in more than half of the cases. There were only a few cases which demonstrated even in a week a decrease of iron level.
7) No particular difference was recognized among the various therapeutic methods.

View full abstract

The influence of iron on the diphtheria infection was investigated using guinea pigs.
The following results were obtained:
1) When living corynebacterium diphtheriae was inoculated to guinea pigs, a significant difference of survival time was observed between the group with elevated serum iron levels due to the previous injection of iron preparation and the non-treated group. Furthermore, between the two groups killed in a certain time period different histological findings were seen in the adrenals and spleen.
2) When diphtheria toxin was inoculated, no difference was observed between the group given the iron preparation and non-treated group.
3) The diphtheria toxin, when mixed with the iron preparation and kept at 37°C for 1 hour, brought about no significant difference in the animals as compared with the toxin alone. A different survival time was observed, when the mixture of toxin and iron preparation was kept at 37°C for 6 hours.
4) The mixture of diphtheria toxin and iron preparation adjusted to pH 5.6 and kept at 37°C for 6 hours was inoculated to the rabbits. The reddening caused by the injection of this mixture demonstrated no grade difference as compared with that caused by alone use of toxin.
Consequently, the iron seems to influence also in vivo the production of diphtheria toxin.

View full abstract