並列摘要
This paper is a report on eye ground study of 204 nuns and priests who kept up an unique habit of absolute vegetarianism for a considerable length of time. The eye ground findings were divided into three groups, viz., venous engorgement, normal eye ground and abnormal eye ground. The blood pressure in each group and statistical significance were studied accordingly. 1. Seventy seven subjects (37.7%) showed noticeable venous engorgement. Since these people suffered from neither anemia nor heart failure, and that their mean blood pressure was lower than normal group, this finding was considered to be due to systemic hypotension. 2. Forty-one subjects (20.1%) showed abnormal eye ground findings of hrpertensive changes. Their blood pressure was higher than those of normal eye ground group (Statistical probability: systolic and diastolic B. P. below 0.0001). The percentages of subjects who showed abnormal findings of more than arteriosclerosis retinae grade 1 and retinopathia hypertonica grade 1, according to Scheie's classification, were 16.17% (33subjects) and 8.33% (17 subjects) respectively. Compared with 40.54% and 18.11 % in an examination at Adults Health Clinic, of N. T. U. Hospital, by Charsg and Hou, they were notably lower. The majority of them confined themselves to grade 1. Very few abnormal findings of them belonged to grade 2 or 3. Thus, an evidence that habit of absolute vegetarianism may prevent arteriosclerosis and hypertension is supported.