THE MAGGOT THERAPY – A NEW DISCOVERY

Allah almighty put some healing abilities in the flies to benefit the human, Let us read…

Researchers say that the surface of flies is the last place we would expect to find antibiotics, yet that is exactly where a team of Australian researchers is concentrating their efforts.

Working on the theory that flies must have remarkable antimicrobial defenses to survive rotting dung, meat and fruit, the team at the Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, set out to identify those antibacterial properties manifesting at different stages of a fly’s development.

“Our research is a small part of a global research effort for new antibiotics, but we are looking where we believe no-one has looked before,” said Ms Joanne Clarke, who presented the group’s findings at the Australian Society for Microbiology Conference in Melbourne this week. The project is part of her PhD thesis.

The scientists tested four different species of fly: a house fly, a sheep blowfly, a vinegar fruit fly and the control, a Queensland fruit fly which lays its eggs in fresh fruit. These larvae do not need as much antibacterial compound because they do not come into contact with as much bacteria.

Flies go through the life stages of larvae and pupae before becoming adults. In the pupae stage, the fly is encased in a protective casing and does not feed. “We predicted they would not produce many antibiotics,” said Ms Clarke.

They did not. However the larvae all showed antibacterial properties (except that of the Queensland fruit fly control).

“We are now trying to identify the specific antibacterial compounds,” said Ms Clarke. Ultimately these will be chemically synthesized.

Because the compounds are not from bacteria, any genes conferring resistance to them may not be as easily transferred into pathogens. It is hoped this new form of antibiotics will have a longer effective therapeutic life.

The outer surface of the fly contains antibiotics which can be isolated and used in irremediable diseases

In Russia, Scientists from St. Petersburg had reached the same result as they discovered that one of the strongest therapeutic effects is that produced by some of the fly maggots. The head of the research Sergey Chernysh says: “During the wars with Napoleon it was noticed that soldiers left on the battlefields died of blood poisoning but not if they had the maggots in their wounds. They were healed because the maggots were eating the dead tissue while secreting a certain recuperating ferment.”

They saturated the wound with certain antibiotics that facilitated the quick healing. Famous Russian surgeon Pirogov used the maggots during the Crimean War. They saved thousands of lives during the World War I as well”.

Also in Germany, Dr. Wim Fleischman, head of the emergency department at Petejehaim hospital had proved that larva of the fly can heal injuries, also Dr. Martin Auster who is a surgeon at the same hospital says that he used larva in healing wounds and in some cases of bones Chronic inflammation.

Doctors confirm that larvae can efficiently heal diabetes, Bedsores and bones infection.

Today, the International Textile Research Centre, Hohenstein Institute, is working on wound dressings containing substances derived from maggots which support the healing process. After flies lay their eggs, it will be transferred to be placed on wounds to encourage the healing process.

In Qur’an Allah almighty says: (O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully): Verily those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatches away a thing from them, they will have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought.)(Sûrat Al-Hajj-verse73), in this verse Allah wants us to understand how much this insect is important and to know that He almighty didn’t create it without purpose as He says in another verse: (And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth; it is all as a favour and kindness from Him. Verily, in it are signs for a people who think deeply.)(Sûrat Al-Jâthiyah-verse 13).

Also prophet Mohamed (Peace be upon him) tells us about the benefit of the fly: (“If a fly falls in the vessel of any of you, let him dip all of it (into the vessel) and then throw it away, for in one of its wings there is a disease and in the other there is healing (antidote for it) i e. the treatment for that disease.”)( Narrated by Abu Huraira).

Let us think rationally, who told that illiterate prophet about this scientific fact 1400 years ago?

The answer is Allah, the knower of everything who says in His holy book: (Do they not then consider the Qur’an carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein many a contradiction.)(Sûrat An-Nisâ’-verse82)

By: Abduldaem Al-Kaheel

References:
1. http://english.pravda.ru/science/19/94/377/16771_fly.html
2. http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2002/10/01/689400.htm
3. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4078848,00.html
4. http://www.research-in-germany.de/coremedia/generator/dachportal/en/04__Research_20Areas/Health_20Research_20and_20Medical_20Technology/Lab_20Ticker__Health_20Research.htm
5. http://www.bio.mq.edu.au/