The Battle of Shiloh, fought over two days from April 6 to 7, 1862, was a defining moment of the Civil War.
In the engagement, also often known as the Battle of the Pittsburgh Landings, Union forces led by Major General Ulysses S. Grant faced Confederate troops led by General Albert Sidney Johnston. The battle took place in southwestern Tennessee and was considered one of the earliest large-scale combat engagements within the Western Theater.
In the bloodiest battle as much as that time within the war, 23,000 people died on each side. The battlefield itself was a swampy, mud-soaked hellhole. Medical services on each the Confederate and Union sides were woefully unprepared for the dimensions of the carnage, and most of the wounded were left to fend for themselves within the watery swamps.
When help finally reached these poor souls, their rescuers noticed something strange. Their wounds gave off a faint glow at night.
Moreover, injured people whose wounds glowed had a greater survival rate than their peers whose wounds didn’t glow. Unable to clarify what was happening, the confused soldiers called this strange phenomenon “Angel's Light” since it actually appeared to be the work of angels.
For a protracted time, this story was considered little greater than folklore. That is, until seventeen-year-old Bill Martin heard the story and asked his mother, Phyllis Martin, who’s a microbiologist, whether the bioluminescent soil bacterium she was studying, photorhabdus luminecens, may be liable for this strange story.
She encouraged her son and his friend, John Curtis, to proceed tests and experiment to seek out the reply (because that's what happens when your mom is a scientist). They have found a remarkable explanation for a story long regarded as little greater than legend.
The strange lifestyle of Photohabdus luminescens
P. luminescens is an unlikely savior. The bacterium lives within the intestines of assorted species of nematodes, living in a wierd symbiosis. Nematodes are soil predators, attempting to find insect larvae, which they eat with the assistance of P. luminescens.
The nematodes enter the bloodstream of the unlucky larva, where they excrete their bacterial load. P. luminescens releases toxins that quickly kill the worm, giving the nematode quick access to the insects. These toxins also inhibit the expansion of bacteria that decompose the insect's carcass, giving the germ and worm loads of time to feast and multiply within the victim's carcass.
It was this toxin that was likely liable for helping soldiers survive terrible wounds. The hypothesis developed by Martin and Curtis was that the glowing bacteria entered the soldier's wounds when the nematodes attacked the insect larvae that naturally attract such injuries. The resulting infection will destroy any normal pathogenic bacteria present in the injuries.
The only problem with the hypothesis was that P. luminescens couldn’t survive at human body temperature. Teenage scientists have provide you with a novel option to approach this problem.
For once, hypothermia was a superb thing
Their answer lay within the muddy battlefield itself. The battle took place in early April, when temperatures were relatively low. Adding to the misfortune was the undeniable fact that it rained throughout the battle. In some cases, injured men were exposed to the weather for 2 days.
By then, hypothermia would have set in. This would give P. luminescens time to take control and kill the harmful bacteria. Then, when the soldiers were admitted and rewarmed, their bodies naturally killed the worm. For once, hypothermia was a superb thing.
In this fashion, the teenagers managed to offer a plausible explanation for the Angel's Shine, a phenomenon that had long been regarded as merely the fanciful pondering of desperate men.
The exact nature of the toxin the bacteria use to perform their medical miracles has not yet been identified, however the duo are working to isolate it. Perhaps the bacteria that saved lives 150 years ago will give you the option to avoid wasting much more today.
Image Source: Pixabay.com
