1983年 · 第03卷第03期

In the context of the evaluation of the final radiological impacts at a French uranium mining site, analyses for radium-226 in different levels of feed chains leading to milk, vegetables, and fish were performed.

The study site is located in a region of low mountains where the principal pathway for environmental transport of radioactivity is the river water and its embankments. After 20 years of exploitation, the production which totaled 10, 000 tons of uranium metal has ended. The mill tailings were disposed of in an artificial pond of 10 hectares behind an earthen dam which was built across the river valley at the site

The results show large variations of radium content in different soils and in different samples of cattle forage due to elevated levels in samples collected from areas subject to flooding by the river. Variations in the radium activity of milk were smaller. Most of the vegetables had similar radium levels upstream and downstream. The radium content of fish muscle downstream was 10 times greater than that upstream.

In conclusion, it is possible to measure the impacts of the mining site on the immediate vicinity by analysing radium-226 in geological and biological samples. However, food chains were only partially affected (e. g. , levels of milk were less than those of fish and of some mineral waters produced in the region) and the dietary intake levels are below the annual limits recommended for the public.

An experimental model for screening anti-infective drugs was established and justified in tests with neomycin, penicillin, SMP etc. Mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with E. coli suspended in 0.5 ml of 2.5% gastric mucoitin solution. The optimal number of E. coli giving a mortality of nearl. 80% was shown to be 4 million per mousey The time of administration of drug was suggested to be as close as possible to the bacterial inoculation or within the period from 24 hours before to 6 hours after inoculation.

85 kinds of Chinese herbal medicines (most of them were shown to be bacteriostatic in vitro) were tested. Only 7 of them (Euphorbia hirta, Galla chinensis, Flos Rosae chinensis, Euonymus fortunei, Acalypha australis, Folium Psidii guajavae, Polygonum ciliinerve) could increase the survival rate of mice infected with E. coli through intraperitoneal injection 1 hr before the bacterial inoculation. Preliminary analysis indicated-that these Chinese herbal medicines probably exerted their antibacterial effect indirectly through the organism rather than directly upon the bacteria.

Of seven kinds of sustaining and tonic Chinese medicines tested, only the decoction of radix asparagi showed obvious anti-infective effect, and the mechanism of its action needs further investigation.

The changes of cellularity and number of mitotic cells in a single crypt, the size of half or nearly half surface area of the crypt, the size of half or nearly half surface area of the proliferation zone, and the length of villus in mice following ⁶⁰Co γ-ray whole-body irradiation with 500, 750, and 1000 rads are reported.

Radiation damage developed within 48 hours after irradiation during which decrease or loss of mitosis, decrease in number of crypt cells and atrophic changes of crypt occurred. 12, 24 and 48 hours after irradiation the number of crypt cells and the area of crypts decreased with the increase of irradiation dose.

48 hours after irradiation, the repairing period began. 72 hours after irradiation with 750 rads and 120 hours after irradiation with 1000 rads, the number of crypt cells, the area of crypts and the area of proliferation zone exceeded normal levels; these are considered to be compensatory changes.

The length of villus was markedly reduced 72 hours after irradiation.

The clinical manifestations of leucopenia in the light of the theory of traditional Chinese medicine are mainly dizziness, fatigue, lumbago, weakness of the legs, insomnia, dreamfulness, anorexia, shortness of breath, diarrhoea etc. The basic prenciples of treatment of leucopenia are: re-enforcement of in sufficiency, strengthening of the injured, warming up of the vital energy for the debilitated, and nutrition or favored drugs for those with essence and vital energy deficiency.

In regard to the treatment of clinical cases, drugs for strengening vital energy and nourishing the blood, or tonifying the negative factor and replenishing the positive factor can be used. The usual clinical prescriptions are Ginseng-Gui-Pi-Tang, Si-WuTang, Fu-Mai-Tang, Qi-Ju-Dihuang-Wan and Jingui-Shenqi-wan.

The author has used the principle of traditional Chinese medicine to differentiate the symptoms and signs in the management of this condition, and has obtained gratifying results.