Once again we
have a direct empirical solution finally getting some attention while the
original protocol remains out of mainstream usage. Obviously this should be applied as a matter
of course as a first choice to simply slow the onslaught of the toxins. It is surely well proven for that.
It would be
asking too much for it to provide a complete solution but neither does the antibody
approach either. You really want both
and a lot more besides to ensure complete recovery.
At least it is
going forward and perhaps the separation of active ingredient does not cause
worse problems.
Herbal Ayurvedic
Cure Shown To Work Against Viper Bites
Behold the
mongoose plant!
Posted 02.21.2014 at 12:12 pm
Mongoose plant, an herb that grows in southern
India, is prescribed by local people practicing Ayurvedic medicine to treat bites from vipers. But there have
been few studies to see how or if it works.
New research, however, seems to supports its
use. In a study published in
the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, scientists exposed developing chicken
embryos to extracts of viper venom. As you can probably imagine, pure venom
quickly killed them, and caused obvious hemorrhaging when a venom-soaked
disk was applied to the embryo's surface. When the venom was mixed with
sufficiently high levels of mongoose plant root before being applied, however,
none of the embryos died, and there was no sign of hemorrhaging. These
embryos were chosen because they are easy to handle and observe, are similar to
humans on a molecular level, and prevent causing suffering in higher
mammals, the study noted.
The study suggests that some chemical in the plant,
also known as Ophiorrhiza mungos, is neutralizing the venom. The
scientists are working to isolate that compound.
The researchers used venom from Russell's viper
(Daboia russelli), which is responsible for the most snakebite deaths in southern
India. The World Health Organization estimates that at
least 100,000 people die from
snakebites each year.
Modern medicine turns to antivenom to treat
snakebites, which usually consists of antibodies derived from animals like
sheep that have been exposed to venom. But these can cause side effects
like swelling and allergic reactions, are often in short supply, and
notoriously expensive. Hospital bills for bite treatments can exceed $100,000, at least in the U.S.
Study author Anaswara Krishnan, from India's
Kerala University, said scientific validation of traditional cures are
important, since these treatements can't be pursued at modern hospitals
without such evidence in hand. “Despite the widespread use of modern serum
therapy, a lot of people in southern India prefer traditional Ayurvedic
medicines to treat snakebites because they are known to be effective, have
fewer side effects and have cultural acceptability,” she told SciDev.net.
They are currently pursuing clinical trials, and hope to use a formulation
of the mongoose plant to treat snakebites.
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