耳介に関する東洋医学的研究

A STUDY ON THE AURICULAR FUNCTION IN VIEW OF ORIENTAL MEDICINE

　I．はじめに

　これまで耳介は集音，方向感などの機能はすくなく，音響学的，感覚的に大きな意義はないと考えられていた。単に血腫・火傷・凍傷・湿疹などの疾患に注目されてきたにすぎなかつた。それに対して外耳道・鼓膜・中耳・内耳などの病理学的・機能的研究が行なわれ，これらの検査法も確立してきた。

　著者らは中国の針麻酔，針治療を学び，耳介に不明な点が多いので，今回耳介の機能について東洋医学的な文献を調べ，考察を加えたので，これを報告し諸家のご批判を仰ぎたい。

　It is difficult for a mind moulded by scientific rationalism to concieve that any action on the auricle might lead to interruption of various aches and pain in other parts of the body. How-ever, in oriental medicine, cauterization of specific parts of the auricle of a patient suffering from sciatica had been in use for a long time with good results.

　In view of this oriental concept the authors made study on the electrical resistance of the skin of the palm of the hand and specific points of the auricle. In cases of urticaria and kidney diseases positive spots were found on the auricle in 80% of cases : whereas, in other diseases it was only 55%.

　In view of the fact that the auricular nervous supply is derived from various sourses as the vagus, trigeminal, facial and the cervical 2-4 nerves, the auricle might act as a receptor for changes in circumstances to enable the individual to adjust to the situation.