soil has a healing effect

Soil is from the region around Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, known as the Boho Highlands. Locally, it’s thought that the soil has a healing effect.

Trending > Microbiology
DEC 27, 2018 05:17 PM PST
Reputed Medicinal Soil Yields a Superbug-killing Bacterium
WRITTEN BY: Carmen Leitch

It’s no secret that antibiotic resistance is a problem that already poses a serious threat to public health, and it’s expected to get worse. That’s sent researchers searching for new antibiotics. One place that they can look is in soil. Bacteria have to compete against one another in the fight for survival, so some have developed highly competitive strategies, including creating antibiotics that will kill other microbes. Soil is rich with microbial life, so it's an excellent place to look for new antibiotics.

Growth of the newly discovered Streptomyces sp. myrophorea, so named because it produces a distinctive fragrance similar to that of oil of wintergreen. Although superficially resembling fungi, Streptomyces are true bacteria and are the source of two-thirds of the various frontline antibiotics used in medicine. / Credit: G Quinn, Swansea University
Growth of the newly discovered Streptomyces sp. myrophorea, so named because it produces a distinctive fragrance similar to that of oil of wintergreen. Although superficially resembling fungi, Streptomyces are true bacteria and are the source of two-thirds of the various frontline antibiotics used in medicine. / Credit: G Quinn, Swansea University

Scientists studying Irish soil that has a reputation for having medicinal properties have now found a strain of bacteria that can kill superbugs. When tested against the top pathogens that are resistant to drugs, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), the newly-identified bacterium stopped the growth of all of them. The researchers, which included scientists from Swansea University Medical School in Northern Ireland, and collaborators in Wales, Brazil, and Iraq named the new bacterial strain Streptomyces sp.myrophorea. https://www.labroots.com/trending/microbiology/13662/reputed-medicinal-soil-yields-superbug-killing-bacterium

How cool is that?

Very interesting Joylynn, thanks!  Any idea how the locals use that soil for it to get the reputation of being medicinal?

The soil of that area has always grown very potent herbs, so much more potent than other areas for so many years that it became the place to get your medicinal herbs from several centuries ago.
There are similar spots around the planet where the healers prefer their herbs to come from.
In India there is a place that people go for healing of many ailments and it that particular instance the patient sits in the soil while more is poured over them. (I heard about it from a healer from India)

Good find Joylynn, thanks for posting the links up.

Redhawk

Thank you Redhawk!  Do you know if it is believed to be due to the presence and ratio of certain critical elements in the soil or some other factor or factors?

hau Greg, in the case of preferred herb growing areas it is a matter of both mineral and microbiome content that have made those areas so great for growing the herbs.
In the case of India I think it might be more based upon religion but it is also probable that that particular area has very complete mineral and hyper active microbiome components that led to the current method of use by the people.
I am not aware of any study of the soils of that area, but that doesn't mean there aren't some out there. Since this is a Hindi site, there is the possibility that studies are not permitted.

In addition to how these soils are different, and thus grow finer, more potent herbs, I would love to be able to study how they got that way- ie, are/were there special agricultural practices traditionally used in this area, unusual bedrock compositions, some wonderful dynamic accumulator growing there, or some other specific change factor.

Also, based on what I have heard, most soil has healing properties within itself, due to a specific microbe that actually raises a person's IQ. Unfortunately, I don't have a reference for that. Also, I personally believe there is an electrical/spiritual/emotional recharge when "earthing" occurs.

Interesting you bring up the spiritual side along with the electrical idea Andrew.
That specific area of Ireland is a point of convergence of 3 ley lines and were marked by the Druidh.
While the current interest and healing effects are contributable to some particular bacteria species, it is also probable that the area was first brought to interest of the people by the Druidh priests.
There is no evidence of it being a place of worship in ancient times, so most likely it was held in reverence as a place of healing.