The out look towards Snake poisons
1. The ophidians are characterized by their paralysing action upon the nerves, disintegrating effect upon the tissues and decomposition of the blood.
2. The effects of snake-bites fall into three groups, corresponding to the three leading forms of disease which the potentized venom will cure:
3. (a) Direct poisoning of the nerve centers without local inflammation or blood changes. The great shock of the poison is first felt in the centers of the cord, then of the medulla, involving the functional integrity of the brain, the pneumo-gastric producing cardiac and respiratory symptoms, and finally affecting the sympathetic nervous system. Occasionally there are convulsions resembling those of epilepsy but death is almost instantaneous, or occurs in a short time from paralysis of the heart.
4. (b) The victim, surviving the first shock, exhibits symptoms of a haemorrhagic nature, ecchymoses, oozing of dark, thin blood from the orifices, and haematogenous jaundice and fever, flushed face, injected conjunctivae, thirst, anorexia, spongy bleeding gums, sore throat.
5. (c) Inflammation, agonizing pain and erysipelatous swelling at the seat of the injury, rapidly passing on into gangrene, foul ulcers, absorption of the venom by the lymphatics, inflammation of lymphatic glands, or through the veins resulting in pyemia.
6. At first there are anxiety, mental excitability and hallucinations. Later may arise mental confusion, stupor, low delirium, numbness, twitching, faintness, trembling, irregularities of circulation and apoplectic congestion with great prostration or paralysis.
Lachesis mutus
7. Lachesis (the lance heated viper) is the best known and therefore the most frequently used of all the snake poisons. A brief survey of the symptoms produced by the bite of the snake will suggest the character of the ailments which call for its use. They are fevers of a low type, septic and zymotic conditions attended by alarming prostration, relaxation of muscles, disorganization of the blood, phlegmonous inflammation, diphtheritic deposits, malignant ulceration with thin, ichorous discharges, violent disturbances of the circulation, exaggerated reflexes, paralysis and coma.
8. There are five grand characteristics which will enable the prescriber quickly to recognize the remedy in both acute and chronic cases.
They are:
1. Aggravation after sleep.
2. Extreme sensitiveness to touch.
3. Intolerance of clothing about the neck or abdomen.
4. Ailments on the left side or progressing from left to right.
5. Relief from the re-establishing of discharges or eruptions.
Any one of these characteristics is strongly suggestive of Lachesis; a combination of two or more usually makes the choice certain.
9. Other important characteristics to complete a practical study of the remedy are as follows:
Ailment from GRIEF; fright, vexation; JEALOUSY; or disappointed love.
HOT FLUSHES and other affections DURING or FOLLOWING THE CLIMACTERIC; *"Not well since change of life"*.
BLUISH or BLACK inflamed areas, swellings, ulcers.
LOQUACITY; JUMPS FROM ONE SUBJECT TO ANOTHER; SUSPICIOUSNESS; SADNESS; anxiety; WEAK MEMORY; frightful HALLUCINATIONS.
FAINTING; during vertigo; palpitation; FROM EMOTIONAL EXCITEMENT.
Sensations of a ball in inner parts; numbness; heat.
*Pains:* STITCHING; stitching upwards; tearing; burning.
TREMBLING; OF TONGUE ON PROTRUDING; of LIMBS.
Unquenchable thirst; ravenous hunger or anorexia.
Empty, sinking sensation in the epigastrium.
CONSTRICTION OF THE THROAT IN TONSILLITIS, DIPHTHERIA, HEART AND LUNG AFFECTIONS, ON FALLING ASLEEP, ON WAKING.
Menses late, dark, CLOTTED, SCANTY, intermitting, RELIEVED all symptoms.
HAEMORRHAGE, THIN, NON-COAGULATING; dark or black LIKE CHARRED STRAW; HAEMORRHAGE DIATHESIS.
Worse: MORNING; NIGHT; SPRING; warmth; WARM, WET WEATHER; before and during a thunder storm; motion ON PAINFUL SIDE; TOUCH; during and AFTER SLEEP; BEFORE and AFTER MENSES; WARM FOOD.
Better: cold; cool air; pressure; loosening clothing; discharges.
10. Related remedies: Ars.; Bell.; Carbo v.; Caust.; Con.; Hep.; Lyc.; Merc.; Nit. ac.; Sep.; Tarent. cub.; Tarent. hisp.; Zinc.; and the Ophidia.
Complementary: Lyc.; Phos.; Zinc.; Iod.
Naja tripudians
11. Naja (the cobra) has been found useful chiefly in heart affections, uncomplicated cardiac hypertrophy in young people and children; myocarditis with violent stitching pains. Also in frontal headache associated with palpitation and pains in the spine; or heavy weight on the vertex with flushes to the face, and cold feet. As with Lachesis the patient is worse during and after sleep, wakens gasping for breath, with anxious expression and blueness of the face. Angina pectoris, pains extending to the neck and shoulder. Chronic nervous palpitation after public speaking.
12. Naja is more suitable than Lachesis for the after effects of acute cardiac inflammation.
13. Related: Ars.; Cact.; Carbo v.; Camph.; Cimic.; Tab.; Lach.; Laur.; the Ophidia.
Crotalus horridus
14. Crotalus horridus (the rattle snake) corresponds to low, septic, typhoidal or zymotic fevers; malignant diphtheria with haemorrhage from the nose of thin, black blood refusing to coagulate; sinking of the vital forces; cold, dry skin.
15. In these symptoms Crotalus is almost identical with Lachesis. It manifests also similar loquacity, mental depression, intolerance of clothing about the waist, spasm of throat muscles, aggravation after sleep, relief from cool open air, and general sensitiveness of the skin. But in Crotalus there is more of a tendency to weep, greater mental confusion, and less aggravation from anything touching the throat. Some of its complaints, notably those of the throat and respiratory organs, are worse from cold air, and it has a decided affinity for the right side. In collapse the skin of the Lachesis patient is cold and moist, that of the Crotalus subject is cold and dry.
16. Related; The Ophidia; Ars.; Camph.; Carbo v.; Lach.; Laur.; Sul. ac.; Tarent. cub.
Complementary: Lycopus.
Vipera berus
17. The therapeutic range of the venom of the German viper, owing to meagre provings, is limited to ailments of the menopause and inflammatory conditions of the veins and lymphatics; boils and carbuncles. But, whether the ailment be acute or chronic, the following characteristics prevail:
SENSATION OF FULLNESS or bursting pain when the part HANGS DOWNWARD, relieved by placing it in the HORIZONTAL POSITION.
Burning, better from cold applications.
Relief of all symptoms by gentle motion.
18. Related: the Ophidia, especially Lachesis. (Vipera more markedly affects the veins than any other of the group); Carbo v.; Calc. c.; Elaps; Lyc.; Puls.
1. The ophidians are characterized by their paralysing action upon the nerves, disintegrating effect upon the tissues and decomposition of the blood.
2. The effects of snake-bites fall into three groups, corresponding to the three leading forms of disease which the potentized venom will cure:
3. (a) Direct poisoning of the nerve centers without local inflammation or blood changes. The great shock of the poison is first felt in the centers of the cord, then of the medulla, involving the functional integrity of the brain, the pneumo-gastric producing cardiac and respiratory symptoms, and finally affecting the sympathetic nervous system. Occasionally there are convulsions resembling those of epilepsy but death is almost instantaneous, or occurs in a short time from paralysis of the heart.
4. (b) The victim, surviving the first shock, exhibits symptoms of a haemorrhagic nature, ecchymoses, oozing of dark, thin blood from the orifices, and haematogenous jaundice and fever, flushed face, injected conjunctivae, thirst, anorexia, spongy bleeding gums, sore throat.
5. (c) Inflammation, agonizing pain and erysipelatous swelling at the seat of the injury, rapidly passing on into gangrene, foul ulcers, absorption of the venom by the lymphatics, inflammation of lymphatic glands, or through the veins resulting in pyemia.
6. At first there are anxiety, mental excitability and hallucinations. Later may arise mental confusion, stupor, low delirium, numbness, twitching, faintness, trembling, irregularities of circulation and apoplectic congestion with great prostration or paralysis.
Lachesis mutus
7. Lachesis (the lance heated viper) is the best known and therefore the most frequently used of all the snake poisons. A brief survey of the symptoms produced by the bite of the snake will suggest the character of the ailments which call for its use. They are fevers of a low type, septic and zymotic conditions attended by alarming prostration, relaxation of muscles, disorganization of the blood, phlegmonous inflammation, diphtheritic deposits, malignant ulceration with thin, ichorous discharges, violent disturbances of the circulation, exaggerated reflexes, paralysis and coma.
8. There are five grand characteristics which will enable the prescriber quickly to recognize the remedy in both acute and chronic cases.
They are:
1. Aggravation after sleep.
2. Extreme sensitiveness to touch.
3. Intolerance of clothing about the neck or abdomen.
4. Ailments on the left side or progressing from left to right.
5. Relief from the re-establishing of discharges or eruptions.
Any one of these characteristics is strongly suggestive of Lachesis; a combination of two or more usually makes the choice certain.
9. Other important characteristics to complete a practical study of the remedy are as follows:
Ailment from GRIEF; fright, vexation; JEALOUSY; or disappointed love.
HOT FLUSHES and other affections DURING or FOLLOWING THE CLIMACTERIC; *"Not well since change of life"*.
BLUISH or BLACK inflamed areas, swellings, ulcers.
LOQUACITY; JUMPS FROM ONE SUBJECT TO ANOTHER; SUSPICIOUSNESS; SADNESS; anxiety; WEAK MEMORY; frightful HALLUCINATIONS.
FAINTING; during vertigo; palpitation; FROM EMOTIONAL EXCITEMENT.
Sensations of a ball in inner parts; numbness; heat.
*Pains:* STITCHING; stitching upwards; tearing; burning.
TREMBLING; OF TONGUE ON PROTRUDING; of LIMBS.
Unquenchable thirst; ravenous hunger or anorexia.
Empty, sinking sensation in the epigastrium.
CONSTRICTION OF THE THROAT IN TONSILLITIS, DIPHTHERIA, HEART AND LUNG AFFECTIONS, ON FALLING ASLEEP, ON WAKING.
Menses late, dark, CLOTTED, SCANTY, intermitting, RELIEVED all symptoms.
HAEMORRHAGE, THIN, NON-COAGULATING; dark or black LIKE CHARRED STRAW; HAEMORRHAGE DIATHESIS.
Worse: MORNING; NIGHT; SPRING; warmth; WARM, WET WEATHER; before and during a thunder storm; motion ON PAINFUL SIDE; TOUCH; during and AFTER SLEEP; BEFORE and AFTER MENSES; WARM FOOD.
Better: cold; cool air; pressure; loosening clothing; discharges.
10. Related remedies: Ars.; Bell.; Carbo v.; Caust.; Con.; Hep.; Lyc.; Merc.; Nit. ac.; Sep.; Tarent. cub.; Tarent. hisp.; Zinc.; and the Ophidia.
Complementary: Lyc.; Phos.; Zinc.; Iod.
Naja tripudians
11. Naja (the cobra) has been found useful chiefly in heart affections, uncomplicated cardiac hypertrophy in young people and children; myocarditis with violent stitching pains. Also in frontal headache associated with palpitation and pains in the spine; or heavy weight on the vertex with flushes to the face, and cold feet. As with Lachesis the patient is worse during and after sleep, wakens gasping for breath, with anxious expression and blueness of the face. Angina pectoris, pains extending to the neck and shoulder. Chronic nervous palpitation after public speaking.
12. Naja is more suitable than Lachesis for the after effects of acute cardiac inflammation.
13. Related: Ars.; Cact.; Carbo v.; Camph.; Cimic.; Tab.; Lach.; Laur.; the Ophidia.
Crotalus horridus
14. Crotalus horridus (the rattle snake) corresponds to low, septic, typhoidal or zymotic fevers; malignant diphtheria with haemorrhage from the nose of thin, black blood refusing to coagulate; sinking of the vital forces; cold, dry skin.
15. In these symptoms Crotalus is almost identical with Lachesis. It manifests also similar loquacity, mental depression, intolerance of clothing about the waist, spasm of throat muscles, aggravation after sleep, relief from cool open air, and general sensitiveness of the skin. But in Crotalus there is more of a tendency to weep, greater mental confusion, and less aggravation from anything touching the throat. Some of its complaints, notably those of the throat and respiratory organs, are worse from cold air, and it has a decided affinity for the right side. In collapse the skin of the Lachesis patient is cold and moist, that of the Crotalus subject is cold and dry.
16. Related; The Ophidia; Ars.; Camph.; Carbo v.; Lach.; Laur.; Sul. ac.; Tarent. cub.
Complementary: Lycopus.
Vipera berus
17. The therapeutic range of the venom of the German viper, owing to meagre provings, is limited to ailments of the menopause and inflammatory conditions of the veins and lymphatics; boils and carbuncles. But, whether the ailment be acute or chronic, the following characteristics prevail:
SENSATION OF FULLNESS or bursting pain when the part HANGS DOWNWARD, relieved by placing it in the HORIZONTAL POSITION.
Burning, better from cold applications.
Relief of all symptoms by gentle motion.
18. Related: the Ophidia, especially Lachesis. (Vipera more markedly affects the veins than any other of the group); Carbo v.; Calc. c.; Elaps; Lyc.; Puls.
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