A Survey of Education in Oriental Medicine at Medical Schools in Japan / 医学教育

Medical education in Japan has centered upon Western medicine since the Meiji Era. Nevertheless, because patients have a great interest in Oriental medicine, many physicians have treated patients with traditional Chinese medicine. The Oriental Medicine Research Institute of Tokyo Women's Medical University opened in 1992, when education in Oriental medicine became a part of the curriculum. To understand the status of education in Oriental medicine in Japan, we conducted a questionnaire survey of all medical schools in the nation. With a response rate of 97.5%, the survey found that one university in four teaches Oriental medicine.<BR>Since 1990, recognition of “alternative medicine, ” in contrast to “modern medicine, ” has gradually increased in both research and education around the world. In Germany, which was the model for the introduction of western medicine to Japan, the use of traditional herbs and spa treatment is already taught in medical school. In the United States, where the National Institutes of Health have established an alternative treatment clinic, research and education are already ongoing at many medical schools.<BR>In such a global situation, the need for education in traditional Oriental medicine will increase, and systematizing such education may become a great challenge. We expect that Oriental medicine will one day be taught at all medical schools in Japan and will become part of the state medical examination.

Two Case Reports of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in which the Thrombocyte Number Increased after Kampo Medicines were Administered to treat a Subjective Symptom / 日本東洋医学雑誌

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is an autoimmune disease and is caused by a blood antiplatelet antibody that reacts to thrombocyte membrane. The platelet associated immunoglobulin G (PAIgG) is admitted in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.<br>Adrenocortical steroids are our first choice as a treatment for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.<br>However, a sufficient thrombocyte increase is not obtained even when adrenocortical steroids are administered to the idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura patient.<br>On the other hand, we use Kampo medicine widely clinically. We are admitting the effectiveness of Kampo medicine in treating many refractory diseases. Even if it corresponds to idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura that is one of a chronic refractory disease effective Kampo medicine is reorted several Kampo pharmaceutical preparations that are assumed when it is effective in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura are Sairei-to, Sho-saiko-to, Kami-kihi-to, etc.<br>This time we carried out Kampo therapy (Rikkunshi-to, Shimatsu-to) on patients with digestive and cutaneous problems but no other symptoms of hemopathy. A blood specialist at this university hospital tentatively diagnosed the patients' condition as thrombocytopenic purpura. Kampo therapy increased the thrombocyte count and alleviated the symptoms.<br>This result might suggest the possibility of a therapy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura and even the importance of the therapy in accordance with the oriental medical syndromes.