EXTRACTS FROM DR. SOKHEY’S NOTES ON SNAKE POISONING NATURE OF POISONS

[Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav]

Prof. Dr. Yogendra Yadav

Gandhian Scholar

Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, India

Contact No. – 09415777229, 094055338

E-mail- [e-mail];[e-mail]

 

 

EXTRACTS FROM DR. SOKHEY’S NOTES ON SNAKE POISONING NATURE OF POISONS

 

 

The colubrine poison that of the cobra and krait acts chiefly on the brain and spinal cord, causing death by paralysis of the respiratory centre in the brain. Viperine poisons produce their effect on the heart and blood, death being caused by paralysis of the vasomotor centre, exhaustion from profuse and persistent bleeding, or from blood poisoning due to septic infection of the wound.

SYMPTOMS OF POISONING

COBRA VENOM. Earliest constitutional symptom is one of intoxication. Later, there is a sense of creeping paralysis, beginning in the legs and ascending to the head by way of the trunk. The head droops and there is paralysis of the muscles of the eyelids, lips, tongue and throat. Saliva dribbles from the mouth and speech becomes increasingly difficult. Nausea and vomiting frequently occur. The breathing gets more and more difficult till it finally ceases, the face being livid and distressed and swallowing impossible. The heart remains unaffected and continues to beat after respiration has failed. Death usually takes place in from one and a half to six hours.

KRAIT VENOM. Death primarily due to suffocation, but, in addition, hemorrhages into stomach and bowels may occur, accompanied in many cases with violent abdominal pain.

VIPER VENOM. Prevents clotting of the blood and destroys the internal coats of the blood vessels, thus encouraging hemorrhages in various parts of the body. The wound inflicted is painful, the parts much swollen; bleeding occurs with great infiltration and discoloration, and, lastly, sloughing occurs permitting infection. Nausea and vomiting frequently occur, but there is no paralysis.

TREATMENT

The bite of a venomous snake is unmistakably due to fang punctures. If nothing happens within ten minutes the snake may be taken as harmless, for the bite from a poisonous snake develops a burning pain and swelling rapidly. In half an hour or less, profuse sweating and vomiting may supervene. By this time, of course, treatment should have been given, especially antivenene serum. The latter can be injected before a condition of collapse has set in; the earlier the better. Treatment would probably be possible in the following order only, as medical aid is not usually at hand.

1. LIGATURE. If the patient is bitten on a limb, apply a ligature above the bite. It should compress all the tissues against a single bone, e.g., in bites on a finger the ligature should be applied on the base of the finger with a second perhaps above the elbow; in case of bite on a toe apply one ligature round the base of the toe and a second above the knee. The ligature should be slackened off about every ten minutes and suction repeated as below. Such ligation should not be kept on for much over half an hour but mechanical suction should continue at intervals for some hours.

2. INCISION. The fang should be opened with extensive incisions across, deep enough but with care not to injure the delicate skin covering the bone or to cut into a blood-vessel. A safety razor blade, if possible, sterilized by rapidly passing through a flame, may be used.

3. DRAINAGE. By cupping, if possible, or by sucking with lips no danger involved if mouth free from sores.

4. INJECTION OF ANTIVENENE SERUM. This may be injected as soon as medical aid is available. This serum is sold by the Central Research Institute, Kasauli.

5. SUPPLEMENTARY. It is advisable to wash the incised wound with a mild solution of permanganate of potash (pale pink colour). Do not apply permanganate crystals directly nor cauterize the wound.