Effect of Agnihotra on Aerial Microflora

Microorganisms like Salmonellae, Shigellae or Vibrios contaminate water, eatables, milk and milk products. When the contaminated eatables are consumed the individual suffers from typhoid, bacillary dysentery or cholera. Similarly, organisms like Staphylococci cause food poisoning by increasing toxins in food. This microorganism also causes wound infections with pus formation. Streptococci infect the respiratory tract after inhalation of the droplet nuclei on which they are settled. Hospital infections by Staphylococci and Pseudomones are not uncommon. Recently, Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been reported to have entered the space age. This microorganism was isolated from the lining of the fuel tank of a jet engine and was found to be responsible for the corrosion of the tank.

It is stated that Agnihotra helps to undo the effects of pollution. In this respect it was decided to observe the last type of pollutant, i.e., microorganisms and the effect of Agnihotra on them. The present article restricts only to the effect of Agnihotra on microorganisms as observed in a microbiology laboratory.

Agnihotra Effect On Bacterial Population

A preliminary experiment was carried out to study the effect of Agnihotra on the bacterial population in a room where Agnihotra was performed. For this study, two rooms of equal dimensions (13’4″ x 8′ x 11′) were selected. In both the rooms fire was prepared from dried cowdung cakes in copper pyramids and the basal reading of number of microorganisms in both the rooms was taken by exposing blood agar plates at four corners of the room for 10 minutes. This was done exactly half an hour before Agnihotra time. Agnihotra was performed exactly at sunset in one of the rooms.

Bacterial counts were taken again in both the rooms in a similar manner at half hour intervals. Thus readings were taken in both the rooms up to two hours after performance of Agnihotra. It was quite interesting to note that microbial counts in the room where Agnihotra was performed were reduced by 91.4% (Figs. 1a, 1b and 1c illustrate the reduction in the number of microorganisms) whereas the room where only fire was generated did not show appreciable changes in the microbial counts. This leads one to think that it was the process of Agnihotra which was responsible for the reduction of bacterial counts and not the mere presence of fire.

Two other similar experiments revealed similar findings. The phenomenon could be explained by giving two reasons:

• Agnihotra fumes are rich in formaldehyde and other substances which have inhibitory effect on microorganisms.
• A phenomenon like smog formation and its diffusion in the upper strata might be a likely postulation.

In the regions of North and South poles, many times, carbon particles accumulate to form a layer called “smog.” When fire is lit the hot currents push the smog into the upper strata and it is diffused in such a way that the carbon particles are no longer harmful in the residual concentration. In the present study perhaps Agnihotra fumes might have dissociated the microorganisms in such a way that the residual population was no more harmful and was well within tolerable limit to human beings.

Agnihotra Effects on Bioenergetic Systems of Individual Microorganisms

This kindled our interest and it was decided to study the effect of Agnihotra on the bioenergetic systems of individual microorganisms. A strain of Staphylococcus pyogenes isolated from a pus sample was selected for the study. The strain showed all the characteristics of a pathogen. It was isolated from a lesion, produced beta haemolyses on blood agar, showed a positive coagulase test and fermented mannitol with the production of acid. The strain was innoculated on a pair of blood agar plates, one of which was kept away from the Agnihotra atmosphere (control plate). The other one was exposed to Agnihotra fumes for five minutes and was allowed to remain in that atmosphere till next Agnihotra was performed (approximately 12 hours). Agnihotra is to be performed on the biorhythm of sunrise/sunset. Surprisingly, it was observed that the plate exposed to Agnihotra (test plate) showed a tremendous reduction in the zone of haemolysis as against a wide zone of haemolysis in the control plate.

Organisms from both the plates were then subjected to coagulase test. The organisms from the test plate showed a negative coagulase test demonstrating their inability to produce coagulase. Finally, the organisms from both the plates were emulsified in one ml of normal saline separately to give suspensions of equal strength. This was achieved by use of Brown’s opacity tube no. 3. The suspensions were then injected intradermally into the thighs of an albino mouse. The mouse was kept under observation for five days.

It was very interesting to note that the suspensions from the test plate failed to produce any lesion in the mouse whereas the suspension from the control plate produced typical abscess (Fig. 2). These results suggest that Agnihotra played a pivotal role in controlling the metabolic activities of this microorganism. In this case, a pathogenic strain of Staphylococcus pyogenes showed characteristics of a nonpathogenic strain after exposure to Agnihotra atmosphere. This was just an observation and triggered quite a number of questions in the mind.

• Is this effect phenotypic or genotypic?
• Is it necessary to expose the strain for a prolonged time interval or will a short exposure cause a similar effect?
• Will the progeny of these microorganisms behave in a similar manner?
• Does the small or microdose of substances released from Agnihotra process boost the immunity mechanism of the patient to get rid of the infection or does the infecting agent lose its virulence? Perhaps both the effects go hand in hand.

Answers to these questions are still beyond sight and show a need for further experimentation in this field.

Details of experiments undertaken by Dr Arvind G. Mondkar of Grant Medical College, Bombay in 1982. The attempt is to show the results of Agnihotra, a fumigation process based on the biorhythm of nature corresponding to sunrise/sunset. A copper pyramid of fixed shape and size is used in the process of Agnihotra.

Details of the Room

• Outline shows the walls of the room.
• A, B, C, D, E and F indicate the position of the petri plates.
• A and D plates were on the floor, forming XY plane.
• E and F plates were placed at 6′ 9/1 above the floor of the room forming Z axis.
• The North-South direction of the room is shown near A.
• The distance between plates is indicated by arrows.

Bacteriological Results

• The full names of the Microorganisms listed in the above table are given below.
• The observations of Plate E are not in line with other five plates, so Plate E will be studied more carefully in our next experiment.
• The number following each Microorganism indicates the number of Microorganisms of that type observed in that plate.

Results

Observations

• In Plate C, “D. pneumoniae” disappeared within 30 minutes.
• In Plate A, fungal colony disappeared within 30 minutes.
• In Plates A and D, “B. subtilis” disappeared within 60 minutes while the same organism disappeared within 30 minutes in B.
• Rest of the organisms were reduced in their numbers.
• There is a definite reduction in the Aerial Microflora after performing Agnihotra.

(Agnihotra atmosphere discourages the production and growth of some organisms. Such organisms try to escape from this atmosphere.)

Full Names of the Microorganisms

The complete name of the microorganism is given first and the short form is given in brackets.

1. Staphylococcus albus (Staph. albus or St. alb.):
   Usually found on the skin. Non-pathogenic, but if they enter the body through a cut then they become pathogenic.
2. Bacillus subtilis (B. sub):
   Non-pathogenic and found everywhere (i.e. ubiquitous).
3. Fungus:
   Non-pathogenic, ubiquitous.
4. Escherichia Coli (E. coli):
   Non-pathogenic, ubiquitous. It helps in Vitamin B12 synthesis in human intestine.
5. Citrabacter freundii (Cit. fre.):
   Non-pathogenic, ubiquitous.
6. Staphylococcus pyogenes (Staph. Pyo.):
   This is found everywhere. It is the “pus” forming organism.
7. Diplococcus Pneumoniae (D. pneu):
   This causes Pneumonia.