Kamikihitohas been used to treat insomnia, anaemia, amnesia, anxiety
and neurosis; accompanying constitutional characteristics of weakness,
psychosomatic lassitude and a pale complexion may be recognised.
Kamiuntanto (Jia-Wei-Wen-Dan-Tang)
Kamiuntantois an extract of 13 component herbs: Dinelliae tuber, Phyl-
lostachsis caulis, Aurantii fructus immaturus, Poria, Aurantii nobilis peri-
carpium, Glycyrrhizae radix, Ginseng radix, Rehmanniae radix, Zizyphi
fructus, Zizyphi spinosi serumand Zingiberis rhizoma.
Kamiuntantohas been used traditionally for psychoneurogical diseases.
Suzuki et al. reported that the clinical application of Kamiuntanto for
certain elderly patients with Alzheimer’s disease slowed the rate of cognitive
decline.^2 This observation supports earlier pharmacological studies of Kami-
untanto on brain cognitive function^24 and suggests that Kamiuntanto is
useful as a potential therapeutic agent in diseases caused by cholinergic
deficit.
Kampo formulae for cardiovascular diseases
Ourengedokuto (Huang-Lian-Jie-Tang)
Ourengedokutois an extract of four component herbs: Coptidis rhizoma,
Phellodendri cortex, Scutellariae radixand Gardeniae fructus.
The kampo formula has frequently been used for the treatment of hyper-
tension. It also has efficacy in cases of facial flushing, sleeplessness, agitation,
skin itching and gastritis.
Some clinical and basic research demonstrated that Ourengedokuto also
improves decreased cerebral blood flow,^29 ischaemia-induced neuronal death^30
and damaged cognitive function.^31 These observations suggest that Ourenge-
dokuto may be available as a potential therapeutic formula for treating
cerebrovascular disorders.
Chotosan (Diao-Teng-San)
Chotosancomprises ten components, of which nine are herbs: Pinelliae
tuber, Poria, Ginseng radix, Zingiberis rhizoma, Uncariae ramulus et uncus,
Ophiopogonis tuber, Aurantii nobilis pericarpium, Chrysanthem flos,
Saphoshnikoviae divaricataand the mineral gypsum fibrosum (considered
to be a herb in kampo medicine).
Chotosanis administered to older patients with physical weakness and
such subjective symptoms as headache, heavy feeling of the head, vertigo,
hot flush, tinnitus, insomnia and painful tension of the shoulder.^26 It is
suggested that these symptoms originate from disorders of the cerebro-
vascular system. Terasawa and co-workers demonstrated a double-blind,
250 | Traditional medicine