Gangrene is the destruction of body tissue by a bacteria called Clostridium perfringens, or a combination of streptococci and staphylococci bacteria. C. perfringens is wide-spread in soil and the intestinal tracts of humans and animals. It becomes dangerous only when its spores germinate, producing toxins and destructive enzymes, and germination occurs only in an anaerobic environment (one almost totally devoid of oxygen). While gangrene can develop in any part of the body, it is most common in fingers, toes, hands, feet, arms, and legs, the parts of the body most susceptible to restricted blood flow. Even a slight injury in such an area is at high risk of causing gangrene. Early treatment with antibiotics such as penicillin, and surgery to remove the dead tissue, will often reduce the need for amputation. Left untreated, gangrene results in amputation of the affected limb and/or death of the patient. Many...