It is well known clinical fact that weather change may precipitate the onset symptoms in patients with bronchial asthma, arthritis, etc.
There are many reports, analysing a weather chart, that the frequency of asthmatic attack is related to meterologic changes.
In this report, it is discussed whether climatic factors which are purely created in the Controlled Climate Chamber affect the lung function (forced expiratory volume in one second-FEV₁), serum cotisol levels, and serum cyclic-3′5′-adenocine monophosphate (c-AMP) levels in asthmatic children.
The subjects for this study were 64 patients with childhood asthma who had no asthmatic symptoms at the time of the study. Patients were entered to the Controlled Climate Chamber which was automatically controlled as following programs, 1, gradual drop of temperature from room temperature (25°C) to 5°C over 60min (A group), 2, temperature pre-set at 5°C (B group), 3, gradual decrease of 50mb in atmospheric pressure (C group), 4, increase of 50mb over 60min followed by steady state for 30min (D group). Conditions in the Controlled Climate Chamber for controll group were mainteined in the same temperature and pressure are those of outside the chamber on the same day. All procedures were performed during from 12.45p.m. to 14.15p.m..
The FEV₁ was measured before and immediately, 5min, 15min, 30min, 60min, and 90min after entry to the chamber.
Also venopunctures were done before and after 90min to measure the serum cortisol and serum c-AMP levels.
Slight but not statistically significant decrease of FEV₁ was observed in A group. In B group, significant decrease of FEV₁ was observed immediately after, and at 5min, 15min after entry. Slight decrease without statistical significance were observed after 60min and 90min.
In C group, significant decrease of FEV₁ was observed only at 90min. At other times, the decrease was not significant.
On the other hand, striking increase of FEV₁ was observed at all the time in D group.
Simultaneously measured serum cortisol level showed slight decrease without statistical significance in all groups.
The changes of c-AMP level did not show any constant tendency in all groups.
These results suggest that cold climate and low barometric pressure may induce the decrease of lung function in patient with childhood asthma and high barometric pressure certainly induce improvement of lung function. The change of serum cortisol level and c-AMP level showed variable tendencies. It is speculated that more distinct change may be obtained, if the samples for evaluation of serum cortisol and c-AMP level are obtained earlier the 90min after entry to the chamber.

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Recently the circadian rhythm has been payed attention. The circadian rhythm is influenced by the light and dark, the meal and the travel. We recognized that the circadian rhythm was normalized by bathing in hot spring.
The circadian rhythm of patients on 17-OHCS and 17-KS in urine was abnormal and this rhythm was normalized by the bathing in Shirahama Hot Spring.
P-cortisol and p-ACTH of various patients (specially female psychosomatic disease) had the abnormal circadian rhythm, and those were normalized by bathing in Ryujin Hot Spring.
Serotonine in brain, meratonine and serotonine in pineal body and CRF in hypothalamus of normal rats don't changed by bathing in spa.
The normal circadian rhythm don't changed and the abnormal rhythm was normalized by bathing in spa.
Thus, the one of effects on bathing in spa is normalization of hormon rhythm.

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It has been generally accepted that the therapeutic effect of repeating hot spring bathing (base of balneotherapy) consists in alternation and normalization of diseased physiological functions of the body. Endocrine and neural functions act major rolls in these mechanisms. In the present paper, the effects of single bathing in hot and cold water and of long-term repetition of bathing were investigated from endocrinological stand-points. Increased secretion of plasma 11-OHCS was observed by body immersion in cold water (25°C) at 9AM and in hot water (42°C) at 9PM. No change of plasma level of this hormone was seen by cold stimulus at 9PM and heat stress by water immersion at 9AM. These results suggest that there are circadian difference of sensitivity in adrenocortical function to thermal stimuli by water immersion. Both plasma prolactin and renin activity increased by hot water immersion in contrast, cold stimulus caused the suppressive responses in both hormones. It can be postulated that other mechanism(s) than the sensitivity of endocrine gland may be involved in these responses.
In order to investigate the effect of long-term balneotherapy on endocrine function, the change in circadian rhythm of plasma 11-OHCS was measured at 1 week interval in hospitalized patients. In general, diminishing in the amplitude and lowering of peak value were observed 3-4 weeks after starting of balneotherapy. Plasma cortisol level was measured at 7AM everyday during hospitalization for 28 days. The results showed that the possible existence of circaseptan rhythm of cortisol secretion by balneotherapy. Daily fluctuation became smaller approximately 3 weeks after the begining of therapy.
Circadian rhythm of plasma cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP were measured to investigate the effect of balneotherapy on the state of autonomic nervous system. Although marked individual difference in the circadian rhythm of cyclic nucleotides was observed before balneotherapy, common and definite tendency of the rhythm was obtained approximately 4 weeks after starting of balneotherapy.
These results suggests that normalization effect of balneotherapy can be reached 3-4 weeks after starting of therapy from the view-point of endocrine and autonomic nervous functions.

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A study of hormonal changes after balneotherapy of hot sulfate spring was performed at Sukawa Spa in Iwate prefecture. The nature of the hot spring reveals pH. 3.8 and 45°C acid alum vitriol water. The subjects of the study are 77 patients with psychosomatic disorders and 16 cases of young healthy male students those taking whole body bath for 10 or 15 minutes three or four times daily during 10 days as a balneotherapy. The several endocrinological substances were measured in blood samples or urinary specimen which were taken from the subjects before and after serial immersion therapy. According to this experimental comparative study, following results were obtained.
The basic level of serum 11-OHCS in morning fasting stages gradually decreased, but in the afternoon it showed markedly rising up in the and period of the therapy on the standpoint of circadian rhythm. Growth hormone revealed increasing value after serial bath in some cases whose complaints of the disease had been markedly improved. By means of TRH test, plasma TSH revealed no significant changing and serum T₃ decreased in basic secretion and reactive values, but mild elevation was observed in plasma prolactin. Urinary excretion dosage of adrenaline and noradrenaline usually increased after every immersion, but its basic daily secretary dosage were decreased contineously until finishing the therapy. Basic plasma gastrin level went down transiently during the therapy, but it recovered until the ending period of the therapy.
Consequently, it might be said that the serial immersion of the hot sulfate spring bath administers some impact to the human endocrine system and regulates a homeostatic situation at final stage of the balneotherapy.

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Balneotherapy was applied to 15 male cases of vibration disorder for four weeks, whereby examinations were made to judge their disorder of peripheral circulating and nervaus functions at the time of entering and leaving hospital. Results of the examinations disclosed an improving trend concerning skin temperature of fingers, score of nail press test, vibration sensation and pain sensation, which evidently suggests that this therapy is useful in curing of the disorder of peripheral circulation and peripheral nerves.
Meanwhile each of the examinations of skin temperature at the immersion test of one hand, score of nail press test and vibration sensation provides a useful measure for the judgement of remedial values.

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Vibration disease is an occupational disease. It is a systemic disease, which impaires not only the peripheral circulatory and nervous functions but also the central nervous functions, and is caused by using vabratory tools such as a chainsaw or a rock drill for a long period.
The present study was performed to elucidate the effects of physical therapy (therapeutic gymnastics) and balneotherapy on the patients with vibration disease.
Sixty inpatients with vibration disease were divided into two groups. One, P group, was just received physical therapy and balneotherapy, and the other, D group, was given a vasodilating drug in addition to physical and balneotherapy throughout the test period. The observed period was 6 weeks. Items used for the evaluation and the judgement in this trial were subjective symptoms and clinical examinations. The subjective symptoms were observed 22 items consisted of palmar hyperhidrosis, insomnia, a heavy feeling in the head, numbness and pain of fingers or arms, etc., evaluating according to the five stage method before the trial, and 3rd and 6th week after the commencement of the trial. The improvement by two or more stages was evaluated as “effective”.
The subjective symptoms in D group became better with significant difference as compared with those in P group (p<0.01). The effective rate in D group was 83.3%, and that in P group was 40.0%. The clinical examinations were performed with respect to peripheral functions and blood chemistry before and after the trial. The peripheral function tests were consisted of cold immersion test, vibration sensation, pain sensation, grasp strength and tapping test. The effective rate in D group was 63.3% and in P group was 33.3%. There was a statistical difference between the two (p<0.05). The collective improvement, which was obtained by evaluating collectively the subjective symptoms and the clinical examinations, was found in 25 cases (83.3%) out of 30 in D group and in 11 cases (36.7%) out of 30 in P group, showing a significant difference (p<0.01).
Thus, the effect of the physical therapy and balneotherapy on the patients with vabration disease was approximately 40per cent in this 6 weeks' trial.

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The patients of vibration diseases were treated by balneotherapy. The effects of balneotherapy were judged from the ameliorating degree of subjective symptoms such as sensation of coldness, sensation of numbness, pains of physical signs for which peripheral functions were examined by cold water-dipping test, vibration sensation test, squeeze dynamometry, tapping test and thermography. There were no differences between balneotherapy for 1.5 months and for 3 months. This suggests that balneotherapy for 1-1.5 months is sufficient for treating the patients of vibration diseases.
Recently developed oxothermic packs (temperature 47-48°C, Duration of heat 2-3 hours) were used in combination with balneotherapy to warm the affected area. The application of the exothermic pack in combination with balneotherapy ameliorated markedly subjective symptoms and physical signs, comparing with balneotherapy alone.
A sound-cold loading apparatus was devised for physical examination of vibration diseases. A specific pulse curve was obtained in patients complaining of pains after using chain-saw.

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