Physiological action of snake remedies in homoeopathy

Dr Jyoti Chawan

ABSTRACT
In the realm of homoeopathy, the Ophidia group, derived from the Latin word “ophis”, meaning serpent, presents a captivating category of remedies sourced from venomous snakes. This article seeks to unravel the characteristics and physiological actions on different systems.

Specific medicines within the Ophidia group, such as Naja tripodies, Crotalus cascavella, cenchris contortrix, are examined for their physiological action. Each medicine has their own action on different systems like blood and CNS.

This comprehension article not only delves into the fascinating world of medicines derived from the Ophidia group in homoeopathy but also provides valuable insights into the distinctive physiological action that guides practitioners in their selection and application which ultimately aid in prescription, thus offering a holistic approach to healing.

KEY WORDS: Ophidia group, Snake venom, Sphere of actions

INTRODUCTION
The snake is one of the most ancient and most grandiose mythological characters. The snakes have been playing greater role in medical history and Hindu philosophy since ages. Snakes are a fascinating part of nature. Their colour, movement and secretive habits make them more mysterious than other animals. For people who are especially interested in wild life, snakes are a wonderful introduction to the world of nature. There are more than 2,600 species of snakes in the world, of these about 216 species are found in India of which 52 are poisonous. The snakes are worldwide distributed. Majority of snakes inhabit the warm parts of the world. Most of the snakes are non-poisonous and harmless, only few are poisonous. The poisonous snakes cause a major medical problem in the tropical countries like Africa, India, Brazil, Burma, Sri Lanka Pakistan and in Australia. According to an estimate by WHO about 60,000 to 70,000 persons die of snakebite every year in the world. In India 18,000 to 20,000 persons die of snake bite every year. The poisonous snakes are Cobras, Vipers, Kraits, Coral snakes and Sea snakes. Aquatic snakes inhabit sea and fresh water media; terrestrial snakes are generally fossorial (living in burrows) while a few are arboreal (living on trees).

SPEED OF ACTION OF VENOM
This depends on the site of injection and the amount injected. If the venom directly enters the blood stream, effects may be rapid and lead to sudden death in most of the cases, the absorption of venom is slower and especially in viperine bites with extensive local reaction, considerable amount of venom may remain locally which will be absorbed into the circulation in due course.

PATHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION

NEUROTOXIC VENOM – Neurotoxic venom causes muscular weakness and paralysis involving the muscles of the face, throat, respiration, legs, etc. It acts primarily on motor nerves.

VASCULO-TOXIC VENOM – Vasculotoxic venom produces enzymatic destruction of cells walls and coagulation disorders. As a result, there is destruction of endothelium of blood vessels.

MYOTOXIC VENOM – Myotoxic venom produces generalized muscle pains followed by myoglobinuria 3 to 5 hrs later, ending in respiratory failure in fatal cases.

HAEMOLYTIC VENOM – Haemolytic venom will cause breakdown of the RBCs, separating plasma and haemoglobin which brings down the oxygen carrying capacity resulting in cyanosis.

IMPORTANT REMEDIES OF THE SNAKE GROUP

1. Lachesis trigonocephalus – surukuku snake
2. Naja tripudians – Cobra venom
3. Elaps corrallinus – Coral snake
4. Crotalus horridus – Rattle snake
5. Crotalus cascavella – Brazilian snake

THERMALS:

HOT                                                                      CHILLY

1.Lachesis                                                                 1. Naja

2.Crotalus horridus                                               2. Elaps

3.Crotalus cascavella

PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF LACHESIS:

CEREBR0 – SPINAL SYSTEM

• Lachesis has powerful action upon this system, centering especially upon the pneumogastric nerve.
• It poisons the nerve centers, and followed by convulsions, unconsciousness and great irritation of the throat, larynx, bronchi, and heart.
• S.B. Higgins, says in Lachesis, we see the nerve centers attacked first, the man falls as if stuck by lightning.
• Hysteria, manic depression, hard throbbing or hammering pains, neuralgic pain change with locality with palpitations as of thread drawing the part or spreading over.
• Epilepsy, comes on during sleep from jealousy, onanism, loss of fluids. Chorea from piercing the ears. Delirium tremens with much trembling and confusion. Trembling of the whole body of hands, tongue etc..

BLOOD

• The rapid decomposition of the blood, and of the tissues locally acted upon by the venom, produces haemorrhages from all the mucous surfaces.
• Like other snake venoms, it decomposes the blood, rendering it more fluid. It has a marked haemorrhagic tendency. Haemorrhages are thin, containing dark particles like charred straw.
• Vicarious haemorrhages, nosebleed, bloody urine etc. small wounds bleed a great deal, Haemophilia, high blood pressure, flushes of heat, rushes of blood. Useful during menopause and for those of a melancholic disposition.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF CROTALUS HORRIDUS

CEREBRO-SPINAL SYSTEM
The life of the medulla oblongata and of the sensory nerves of the medulla spinalis, is struck down as it were by lightning and they lose their vitality before the efferent or motor nerves are affected.

The poison acts first upon the sensory nerves, their nerve force being apparently annihilated and the sensory ganglia are powerfully affected. the action the optic ganglia is shown by the extreme dilatation of the pupil and insensibility to light.

On the auditory ganglia, by the loss of hearing. Its action upon the olfactory ganglia, causes complete loss of smell, so that the most pungent salts held to the nostrils, are not noticed.

The bitten person often complains of vertigo, throbbing frontal headache, neuralgic pains in the head and neck and nervous tremor.

PNEUMOGASTRIC

• Its influence upon this nerve is one of the most marked and characteristic symptoms of the poison. Its action upon glosso-pharyngeal branch, is one of its most constant effects, as shown by the constant irritation and spasm of the pharynx and larynx.
• The constriction of the throat is so great that swallowing is performed with great difficulty and respiration is also so difficult. It acts upon the stomach, causing nausea, and vomiting of greenish or bloody matter.

BLOOD

• This is the most important field of action belonging to Crotalus. The poison seems to reach over so to reach to the great sympathetic and destroy its life. Through these two nervous systems, not only are the blood making organs destroyed, but the blood itself is destroyed by becoming acid and when the blood becomes acid, it means death, and the animal life ceases.
• Low septic states, general disorganization of the blood, haemorrhages and jaundice. Haemorrhages from every part of the body, haemorrhages are slow, oozing dark thin blood, not clots. Haemorrhages from all the orifices and surfaces, especially from the pharynx. Haemorrhages from the pores of the skin. Bloody pus, sweat.
• Tissue rapidly decomposes producing putrid and malignant conditions. Dark or bluish parts. Septic conditions in tonsils, goiter, ulcers, abscesses, blood boils.
• Pains alternate rapidly with each other and frequently recur, also appear and disappear suddenly after lasting sometime. General burning, swelling of whole body, edema in general or of effected part, more right sided in its action.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF CROTALUS CASCAVELLA
Crotalus cascavella differs from the commoner rattlesnake, by affecting the tissues in a lesser degree, but mentality and sensation to a far greater extent.it is evidently less haemorrhagic but has the same sensitiveness and intolerance of clothing about the body as Crotalus horridus and Lachesis. It also has liver symptoms and yellowness but not so markedly and bloody serum drips from nose, whose tip feels drawn up and fastened to the centre of forehead.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF NAJA TRIPUDIANS
Naja is not a haemorrhagic or septic medicine like Lach and Crotalus-Horridus. Cobra venom is complex mixture of various components secreted by the poisonous glands of the cobra. For a long time, a great deal of studies showed that cobra venom manifested a great role in relieving pain, for example, cancer pain, neuralgia, arthralgia, and so on

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
Naja produces a typical bulbar paralysis, causes no haemorrhage but only oedema hence the victim of this reptile frequently bears very little sign of external injury.

A feeling of intoxication is produced followed by a loss of power over the limbs, loss of speech, swallowing and the control over the movement of the lips. Saliva is injected in large quantities

It affects medulla and cerebellum, nervous, excited, and tremulous with heart disorders often reflex, and there will be degeneration of the motor cells.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION ON HEART
Action of Naja on heart leads to heart failure and distress. Weak valves with regurgitation, stenosis, prolapse. Acute and chronic endocarditis. Heart damage after infectious diseases. Low blood pressure, fluttering palpitation sensation outside the chest. Depression and weakness of the heart. Inability to speak with choking, nervous chronic palpitations, pulse is slow, irregular.

PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION OF ELAPS CORALLINUS

ACTION ON BLOOD
Like other snake poisons, the poison of the coral snake disorganizes the blood, producing black discharges, especially haemorrhages. Characteristics pre-eminent blackness of its discharges and haemorrhages. Sensation as if all the blood gets collected in head. Black earwax.

CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
Adynamic sepsis. Spasms, then paralysis, oscillatory movements. Right sided paralysis. The right side feels weak insensible or even paralyzed. Must have oscillatory motion. Sensation of internal coldness. Twisting sensation, as of a heavy load or weight on the affected part.

ACTION ON GASTRO-INTESTINAL TRACT
Sudden pain in stomach. Cold feeling in stomach, acidity of stomach with faint feeling. Spasm of oesophagus, pharynx constricted, food and liquids suddenly arrested and then fall heavily into stomach. Spasms followed by paresis.

Cold things disagree. Fruits and cold drinks lie like ice on stomach and cause a cold feeling in chest. Desire for sweetened buttermilk. Nausea and vomiting.

CONCLUSION
We as homeopaths ,can often narrow down if a patient belongs to the Ophidia group based on the physiological action on system. But differentiating between remedies often poses a difficult problem as they all seem to have very similar features. By delving into the fascinating world of snake-inspired medicines in homoeopathy, this comprehensive article has attempted to shed light on the physiological action of remedies, thus offering more clarity and guiding practitioners in reaching the similimum faster.

Reference:

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3. Farrington EA. Lectures on Clinical Materia Medica. B. Jain Publishers; 2003.
4. Patil JD. Group Study in Homoeopathic Materia Medica. Jain Publishers (P) Ltd., D-157, Sector. 2018;63:387-94.
5. Kent JT. Lectures on homoeopathic materia medica. New Delhi, India:: Jain Publishing Company; 1980.
6. Burt WH. Physiological Materia Medica: Containing All that is Known of the Physiological Action of Our Remedies; Together with Their Characteristic Indications and Pharmacology. Gross & Delbridge; 1881.

Dr Jyoti Chawan
Department of Homoeopathic Pharmacy,
Under the guidance of Dr Anusha G.
FMHMC, Deralakatte, Manglore.
Email : jyothichavan164@gmail.com