MOTOR-NEURON DISEASE ON THE KII PENINSULA OF JAPAN - CYCAD EXPOSURE

In the Hohara area of Nansei-cho, one of the foci of motor neuron dise ase (MND) on the Kii Peninsula, an inquiry was conducted to investigat e whether cycad exposure is an etiological factor of MND in the wester n Pacific. Although cycads were commonly used as medicine around World War II all over Japan, the medicinal use of cycads was exceptional in the Hohara area. A questionnaire study in the Hohara and the neighbor ing four areas in Nansei-cho showed that cycad used as food, medicine, toys, and garden trees had no relation to the incidence of MND in the se areas. The result in the Hohara area does not support the hypothesi s that cycad is an etiological factor of MND common to the western Pac ific foci.