A drip a day keeps the doc away

I read this article in the English newspaper I picked up on my way to work this morning. This article was so shocking to me. It did provide some good conversation in my English class.

"Though a needle stuck in the arm might not be everybody's idea of a quick pick-me-up, time-pressured Tokyoites are flocking to a clinic in the capital's Ebisu district to receive IV drips that promise rapid rejuvenation.
Yebisu Garden Place Clinic is located on the fourth floor of the Yebisu Garden Place Tower building, which houses many foreign capital firms.
What is unusual about the clinic, which mainly offers internal treatment, is a corner in it where patients are put on a variety of intravenous drips, including one designed to enable users to recover from fatigue and one formulated for beauty care purposes.
In the refined, cafelike space, businesspeople can take a short break hooked up to an IV as casually as they might enjoy a cup of coffee after lunch.
In the space, named Tenteki10 (drip 10), drips are administered in just 10 minutes. The clinic opened the space in April by remodeling one corner on the floor. Four chairs are placed wide apart in front of the counter, where patients put out their arms to receive the drips.
Those who visit the clinic for drips enter the corner through a different door from the one used by other patients.
At first, a patient has an interview with a doctor. Sitting face-to-face with a patient, the doctor asks about the patient's physical condition and allergy histories. If no problem is recognized, the patient is taken to the counter, where a nurse will ask the patient to choose a drip.
"Which menu item would you like to have today?" a nurse asked with a smile as she handed me the list of drip choices.
The basic course offers a drip of 50cc glucose solution fortified with vitamins for 2,000 yen. The course can be supplemented with options including a "comprehensive beauty care" treatment for 3,500 yen, "fatigue recovery" and "cosmetic whitener" treatments, each costing 3,000 yen, and "energizing" and "detoxification" treatments for 2,500 yen each.
Although this may sound a little expensive, it is not unreasonable considering that the service is not covered by health insurance.
As an option, I picked the "comprehensive beauty care" one, which is designed to generate collagen and get rid of pimples, according to the descriptions of the individual course's effects. Upon my request, the nurse took out an ampule and blended it with the basic drip. The transparent fluid instantly turned a vivid orange.
Finally, it was time to receive the drip. When the needle was stuck into my vein, the orange-colored fluid started dripping through the tube rhythmically.
Before long, I noticed a garlicky taste gradually spreading in my mouth.
"Don't worry--it's caused by a vitamin B group substance," the nurse said.
It took about 10 minutes until the drip was completed. When I looked into the mirror, my skin seemed fresher than before I received the drip.
Recently, an increasing number of people reportedly are visiting medical institutions for drips even if they are not really sick, with some of them saying, "I'm tired--would you give me a drip?"
The clinic's director, Ryuji Yasumura, 50, believes that the stresses of modern life are behind the service's popularity. "I guess many people suffer chronic fatigue and mental stress from the performance-based system in the current corporate society."
About 30 to 40 people visit the clinic for drips each day. On Fridays, people often have to wait in line, according to the clinic.
Sitting next to me, a neatly dressed businessman in his 40s was put on a drip he said chose to help him recover from fatigue.
"I enjoy playing soccer on weekends," he said. "My fatigue is gone after I come here, and I don't have any trouble attending an early-morning meeting."
When the drip bottle was emptied and a nurse removed the needle from his arm, he retied his tie as if showing his resolve to make a fresh start. He looked exactly like Kosaku Shima (a manga hero for businessmen).
For those in the rat race, a pain in the arm may offer temporary relief. But aren't they overdoing things a bit?"
(May. 27, 2008, source: The Daily Yomiuri, by Haruka Takahashi)