Bulletin of Clinical Acupuncture & Natural Healing Volume VII Issue 203 Jan Microbiology. Photomicrograph of Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria

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1 1 Bulletin of Clinical Acupuncture & Natural Healing Volume VII Issue 203 Jan DR. Homi J E Kaikobad MBBS, DPH, Dip Ac NCCAOM, LAc Editor in Chief & Clinical Director CAROL ANDRADE PHD LAC Editor & Creative Director Vera H J E Kaikobad A.A. LAC Editor Microbiology Photomicrograph of Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria in Acupuncture Copyright acu-free.com LLC All rights reserved Published by ACUFREE.COM INC Free Online Edition w w w. a c u - f r e e. c o m For educational purposes only Copyright acu-free LLC All rights reserved. Published by acufree.com INC

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3 3 Preamble Microbiology in Acupuncture Dr. Homi J E Kaikobad MBBS DPH DIP AC NCCAOM LAC Bachelor of Medicine & Surgery. Diplomate in Public Health. Diplomate in Acupuncture National Board Certified. Licensed Acupuncturist Scope of this discussion is entirely educational. Oddly, through the centuries there has never been a mention in Traditional literature of micro organisms such as bacteria, viruses, parasites. That there is an integration of Biomedicine nowadays in acupuncture practice is more due to the trend set when the Art was introduced in the USA during the 1960 s. Even then when a clinical condition involving bacteria is considered in acupuncture it is in general as an Excess, as the result of an external pathogen invading, which can be the influenza virus, or salmonella bacterium, or the e coli. In acute cases the pattern will be that of an immediate, heated, aggressive pathogen giving a fast Full pulse and signs of Heat and Excess. Approach here is to reduce, release the Excess. In chronic cases the pattern will be that of a chronic, cold, subdued pathogen giving a slow or normal or tending to Weak, Empty, Sunken pulse, and signs of a Deficiency. Approach here is to support immune system. In both cases one did not address the pathogen directly. Microbiology This studies life forms seen by microscope. There are uncounted tens of trillions on the body surface, in orifices, on objects we touch, in atmosphere, in water. Most of these are commensals which coexist with humans. Some, when there is a mutation in the organism, prompted by external conditions, become pathogenic and illness arrives. Some known and notorious pathogens The influenza virus of 1918 which killed tens of thousands Cholera bacterium which continues to kill in the III World Tuberculosis bacterium which is endemic in many parts of the world Salmonella typhi causing typhoid fever, still rampant world wide Anthrax, which apart from its biological hazards, is now a weapon When pathogens exist, humans don t. Each is exclusive of the other species.

4 4 Bacteria a large domain of rod like microorganisms few micrometers in length wide range of shapes, from spheres to rods and spirals, but overall rod like among the first life forms to appear on Earth grow in soil, acidic hot springs, water, deep in the Earth's crust, organic matter, plants and animals 40 million bacterial cells in a gram of soil million bacterial cells in a millilitre of fresh water Image of bacterium Staphylococcus aureus See 2 cells in a matrix of tissue Main cause of infections in dairy cows Its large capsule protects the organism from attack by the cow's immunological defenses This image was taken at 50,000X magnification on a Transmission Electron Microscope

5 5 Some data about bacteria There are approximately ten times as many bacterial cells in the human flora as there are human cells in the body. Which means people are more walking talking bacterial colonies than persons. large numbers the skin as gut flora vast majority rendered harmless by immune system few are beneficial few species pathogenic, cause cholera, syphilis, anthrax, leprosy, and bubonic plague most common fatal bacterial diseases are respiratory infections, with tuberculosis alone killing about 2 million people a year, mostly in sub- Saharan Africa antibiotics used to treat bacterial infections, resistance is becoming common Structure of a type of bacterium All bacteria don t look like this, this is just a specimen. The round structure is the body, the tail, a flagellum Outside to inside: capsule cell wall pili plasma membrane cytoplasm ribosomes plasmids nucleoid or DNA

6 6 Classifying bacteria by color of artificially stained cell wall There are broadly speaking two different types of bacteria, called Gram-positive colored purple, and Gram-negative colored pink. The names originate from the reaction of cells to the Gram stain. Gram-positive bacteria possess a thick cell wall containing many layers. This makes it difficult for antibiotics to reach inside and kill it. Image of gram positive bacteria The rod like structures are the bacteria of anthrax, see A. The round cells with several nucleii are white blood cells, see B. Note also both the bacterium as well as the white blood cells have stained purple. We can say the anthrax bacterium is Gram +, while can t say the same for the white blood cells as they come out like that in any case. A B If you are going to deal with bacteria in any degree, you will first classify each as Gram + or Gram -

7 7 A specimen of bacteria staining Gram -ve This is an image of the dangerous bacterium salmonella typhimurium. When stained it gives a pink reaction is therefor Gram -ve. During preceding centuries it must have made sick countless millions. Just a small life form at the wrong place at the wrong time. COCCI BACILLI OTHER SHAPES Classifying bacteria by their shapes COCCI: dot shaped bacteria, see far panel. One dot is a coccus, two, a diplococcus. Group, staphylococcus. BACILLUS: rod shaped bacteria OTHER SHAPES: vibrio is comma shaped, others corkscrew shaped One notorious vibrio is the cholera bacterium

8 8 Random images of bacteria and other micro organisms This photograph, magnified 400x, reveals the presence of spirochete, or corkscrewshaped bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi. It is responsible for causing Lyme disease. These bacteria are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected deer tick. Photomicrograph of Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria, 900x Mag. A pus specimen, viewed using Pappenheim's stain, which is different from the Gram stain. In last century, infections by S. pyogenes claimed many lives especially since the organism was the most important cause of puerperal fever and scarlet fever.

9 9 Types of micro organisms These are bacteria, fungi, archaea or protists and viruses. The first four types may be either free-living or parasitic. Viruses, however, always reproduce inside other living things. Image of a common bacterium - escheracia coli or e coli Image of a virus - the H1N1 influenza virus

10 10 Interesting historic images relating to bacteria In this example bad hygiene is the cause of possible cholera. The fruit vendor sells sliced, peeled fruit. A drain close by harbors choler bacteria. Flies carry these to fruits people are eating. Cholera! [PS. The woman sitting to right of fruit vendor is likely a beggar woman who will wait for people to leave behind scraps of uneaten fruit. She may eat some, or take some home for her children]. Often, in the wake of epidemics can be traced the path of mass poverty in humans. Image courtesy of Claude Waddell, military photographer 1945

11 11 Interesting historic images relating to bacteria Virginia Sterrett was born in Chicago in Her father died when she was very young, and her mother moved with Virginia and her sister to live with their extended family. Demonstrating an early talent for art, she entered and won prizes in drawing competitions at the Kansas State Fair Exhibition. Her course in life as an illustrator was set, and as a teenager she began to work for various advertising agencies. A bout of tuberculosis left her in a state of permanently poor health. Her talent for fantasy art caught the attention of publishing houses, and at the age of 19 she completed her first book illustration commission for the volume Old French Fairy Tales. The same publishing company, Penn, immediately employed her again to illustrate Tanglewood Tales. By 1923, her illness had become so severe that it was necessary to enter a sanitarium as a long-term patient. Artist: Virginia Frances Sterrett 1921

12 12 Microbiology & Traditional Medicine Traditional Medicine or TM has no mention of microorganisms such as bacteria or viruses. The only situation in which it seems to deal with bacteria is when these cause illness. TM does have rich literature of external pathogens and one can include disease causing microbes there. When dealing with pathogens internal or external TM emphasizes more the resistance that the microbe. Further even when it seems antibiotics have done wonders in limiting pathogenic bacteria such as those which cause cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis, it seems that in several cases the bacteria have out smarted the antibiotics and developed resistance. External pathogen Resistance Pathogenic bacterial invasion always causes an acute illness resulting in signs of Excess such as heat, fast full pulse, yellow coat on tongue, yellow colored urine, pain aggravated on pressure. Treatment is by draining Excess. External pathogen Resistance Pathogenic bacterial invasion in later stage if untreated causes a chronic illness resulting in signs of Deficiency such as cold, slow deep pulse, white or no coat on tongue, colorless urine, pain relieved on pressure. Treatment is by reinforcing, toning the Qi. This concludes our sojourn into Microbiology. If you would like to have the series continue to ceus@acu-free.com with Biomed in Subject window

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