1982年 · 第95卷第06期

Studying the teeth of the ancients helps acquaint us with the evolution of oral diseases. The Neolithic Age skeleton remains excavated in Baoji and Huaxian are the earliest ones excavated in batches up to present in China. Of the 948 teeth studied, 186 (19.62%) are diseased teeth. The major dental diseases are caries and periodontoclasia. The caries rate is 3.38% and periodontoclasia rate 11.39%. Alveolar abscess caused by abrasion is 1.69%. Premortem loss of teeth is 6.12%. There seems to be a close relationship between diet and caries. Periodontoclasia appears earlier than caries and does not obviously parallel the development of human society. Caries become common in China with the development of agricultural cultivation settlements and the use of grain as a dietary staple during the Neolithic Age Yangshao Culture 5,000-6,000 years ago.

Peripheral iridectomy can effectively prevent preclinical angle-closure glaucoma from developing into acute attacks. The presence or absence of subjective symptoms should not be taken as the only criterion for judging operative failure or success. Besides the routine systematic eye examinations, dark-room test is effective, easy, safe and valuable in evaluating operative results. 3 unsuccessful cases show that strict follow up examination should be given cases with a shallow anterior chamber after surgery or the elderly. The average post-operative C-value, was normal or slightly lower than that prior to operation, probably due to the patients being elderly, average age being over 70. Lenticular opacities after surgery were relatively common and determined by patienCs age and degree of retained lens transparency preoperatively.

The authors succeeded in wiping out curable blindness within 4 months in a tropical county with a 775,947 population by ophthalmologic survey, operation and medical treatment. The most common causes of blindness were, in order of frequency, cataract, corneal opacity, glaucoma and trachoma.

The chromosome number and patterns of lung flukes belonging t0 9 species and subspecies were studied. The lung fluke P westermani in China can also be differentiated into 2 types i.e. triploid and diploid in chromosome patterns. The chromosome patterns of other species studied are all diploid. The significance of chromosome studies in species differentiation of lung flukes is discussed.

The pathogenesis of portal hypertension is not entirely clear. Mechanical obstruction to the portal vascular beds and increase of portal blood flow have been considered important factors implicated in the elevation of portal pressure. Previously the authors had found that the height of portal pressure is closely related with the state of liver function. Therefore liver function deterioration may be accompanied by disturbance of the liver enzymatic system and metabolism of some humoral substances may be impeded resulting in an accumulation of these substances in the blood. In this study, the effects of histamine, norepinephrine, dopamine and glucagon on liver hemodynamics are studied. It is found that all these 4 substances can elevate portal pressure through different mechanisms. Histamine and norepinephrine increase portal resistance at different locations and dopamine and glucagon augment portal blood flow. Therefore, it is suggested that in addition to mechanical obstruction of the portal bed and increase of portal flow a "humoral mechanism" may play an important role in the pathogenesis of portal hypertension. If it is true, some drugs or antagonists may be used to combat this disease in addition to the conventional treatment.

Relatively rare carotid body tumors are reported. 60 of 63 cases are treated surgically. The condition is difficult to diagnose worldwide and the most reliable diagnostic method is arteriography. Partial tumor excision is negated as the residual tissue invariably proliferates, complete tumor excision with autogenous vein graft when necessary is the treatment of choice. Of major importance in this tumor are measures to decrease cerebral complications, principally hemiplegia, following ligation of the common or internal carotid arteries. Thorough knowledge of collatetral cerebral circulation and measures to increase it before operation are mandatory. Pancerebral angiography and ultrasonography to assess internal carotid artery blood flow plus Matas' test to evaluate and promote collateral cerebral circulation are vital preoperatively.

This paper reports the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in 14 provinces and large cities of China, which has been extensively investigated since 1980 under the auspices of Ministry of Health supported by the provincial Health Bureaus. 304,537 subjects were investigated, about 8570 were the Han nationality and the others were minority nationalities including Moslems, Mongolians, Tibetans, Miaos, Zhuangs and Uigurs. On excluding 10,358 Uigurs and using the screening method and diagnostic criteria proposed by the National Diabetes Research Co-operative Conference held in Lanzhou in 1979 and amended in Beijing in 1980, 899 overt DM (2.96‰) and 955 chemical DM (3.15‰) cases were diagnosed, a 6.09‰ prevalence rate. The standardized prevalence is 6.74‰ according to the 1964 population. Prevalence varied markedly from one district to another, ranging from the highest in Ningxia (10.62‰) to the lowest in Guizhou (1.51‰). The standardized prevalence is highest in Beijing (11.04‰) and lowest again in Guizhou (1.56‰). Among 160,195 males standardized prevalence is 6.84‰ and among 144,342 females 6.62‰, a male to female standardized ratio of 1.03, males being slightly more affected. However, on excluding influencing factors other than sex, there is no statistically significant differeaice, p>0.05. So both male and female subjects are equally affected in China, which differs from adult DM female predominance in foreign countries. Though DM prevalence varies widely, the general tendency for it is to be higher in urban than rural areas. In general, DM prevalence is comparatively lower in China than in many other countries. It is closely correlated with age, sex, body weight, occupation, nationality and regional factors. All these can be considered as intrinsic and extrinsic factors of DM pathogenesis and further intensive. research is required.

This article summarizes the results of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test done on 118 subjects since 1976. The responses are classified into 4 groups: normal, active, low and no response. 30 normal medical workers received 2 doses of TRH 0.5 and 1.0 mg, and 17 cases of untreated Grave's disease all showed no response. Four cases treated with antithyroid drugs gave active responses, 2 of them presenting manifestations of hypothyroidism, but in the other 2 no response was seen during the test. One case of autonomous hyperfunctional adenoma with T-3-hypertoxicosis gave a low response. 12 of the 13 untreated cases of primary hypothyroidism gave active responses, 1 had normal response. 2 of primary hypothyroidism with desiccated thyroid during substitution therapy gave no responses. In 13 secondary hypothyroidism cases, 3 gave normal responses, 1 low response and the remaining 9 no response. Effect of TRH test of various drugs was also observed. Among the 14 cases treated with adrenal glucooorticoids 6 gave no responses and 4 each gave normal and low response. 6 of 9 cases of parkinsonism treated with L-dopa showed no response, 2 normal response and 1 low response. Among 15 women receiving steroid contraceptives (compound quinoestrol) 10 showed active response and 5 normal response. Clinical significance, dosage and side effects of TRH test and factors influencing it are discussed.

A short review of the history of the development of BCG vaccination in China from the early 30s onward is presented. Since its advent 6 decades ago, remarkable progress has been made in the elaboraton of basic BCG theories and clinical practice thanks to extensive research work carried out by medical men around the world. Honorable mention should be made of the tuberculosis, experts and control workers in our country, due to whose unstinting efforts BCG has taken root and borne fruit in this country where tuberculosis once was a dread disease. More recently we are happy to witness the bright prospects of an increasingly important role for BCG in cancer immunology. Divergent views exist in medical circles as to the theories and application of BCG in the drive against tuberculosis. Much useful work is being done by scientists over the world to further investigate and experiment with BCG in the untiring quest for man's well-being.

This paper introduces the psychiatric service development in China with respect to its historical background, including establishment of the extramural hospital mental health care system, paramedical and medical personnel training system, recreational, occupational and home therapy system. This form of psychiatric service is characterized by integration of treatment, relapse prevention and rehabilitation.