A method used for many years to treat jellyfish stings in south
Florida has been the immediate application of meat tenderizer. But
I'm pretty sure this would not work on deeply injected snake venom.
The tenderizer itself is an enzyme (papain, I suspect) that breaks
down proteinaceous substances, and it makes some sense that it would
"disassemble" the amino acids in the toxic protein. The treatment
becomes ineffective once the poison has been picked up by the
peripheral circulation. Some stings are only a temporary nuisance
like a rash. Others such as those from cubomedusae and the Portuguese
man-of-war, can be serious--even lethal. The anatomy of the stinging
cells, the nematocysts, is quite remarkable for such primitive
animals. They consist of a cell (the cnidoblast) that everts,
complete with a trigger, a coiled spring-like thread and sometimes
barbed stylets.
Once I was hit by a man-of-war in Fort Lauderdale while snorkelling.
I experienced shakiness and localized partial paralysis in addition to
the searing pain. (It was treated in the ER later with epinepherine
and other stuff.) It felt like a hundred bee stings on my thigh all
at once, and I do not recommend it except to self-flagellists. Red
whelts showing the tentacle contacts remained for weeks and were still
slightly visible after four months. Don't go there--not fun!
Nobody on the beach had the tenderizer that time, but I carry it now.
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re[2]: snake venom
Author: Frank Paladino <[log in to unmask]> at ~smtp
Date: 6/24/98 10:55 AM
Snake venom's are proteins and can be denatured (structurally
inactivated by cooking or heating by electric shock) and thus their
action as a poison protein may be deactivated. This type of "field"
treatment has also been used for the stings from jellyfish, sea
urchins, scorpions and the like which also have other such protein
toxins. Neurotoxins work on the nervous system and hemotoxins have
other effects via the blood. To denature and deactivate a protein
venom in these manners by the heating or electric shock should be
applied immediately and should be sufficient to burn and "cook" the
affected area. If the venom has entered the blood and into the
general circulation quickly then this treatment will be totally
ineffective and the venom will act. This method of heating
"denaturing the venom" treatment is a last resort and one which should
not be considered an effective treatment. The tissue damage you cause
by the electric shock or scalding may do more damage than the bite.
Quick transport to a hospital or medical treatment facility that has
the proper antivenoms and hyperbaric chambers after a snakebite is
probably the safest bet. A antivenom kit with complete instructions
should be available cheaply and checked for its proper data of
expiration when working in areas where these kinds of interactions are
common. It is best to let a qualified medical treatment facility
administer the antivenoms and only after you are sure of the type of
snake and venom the individual is exposed to. Epinephrine/adrenaline
for anaphylactic shock should also be available. These kits are
inexpensive and readily available but I would only use them after
proper training and instruction.
Cheerio,
Frank V. Paladino
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: snake venom
Author: Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation <[log in to unmask]> at Internet
Date: 6/23/98 11:49 PM
On that note, if it is anything like octopus venom it is "common" to treat
a octopus bite with scalding water. The general rule that an ER friend
told me about venomous bites are to create a scenario of opposite
conditions. In the case of a pacific octopus (living in cold, saltwater),
one would pour hot, fresh
water over the bite. I was with a friend when he recently had his first
encounter with a young octopus, and soon found out size does not matter
and venom however is just as potent. As
my friend soon ralized when his arm began to swell. While we were able to
pour hot water over the bite ( he got a little burned), it definitely
did the job. Could the theory behind the electrical charge be similar in
concept?, that is, creating a scenario somewhat opposite of existing
conditions - although, the charge from a car battery does sound a bit
radical and painful. There must be a similar but better means of creating
the opposite scenario in the case of snake bites.
On Wed, 24 Jun 1998, Melania C. L=F3pez Castro. wrote:
> Hi,
> I've heard about it too, My Professor Juan Guzman Poo, Ph. D. said
> that in class once, he said the electric charge can neutrilizes the venon
> since it is nothing more than enzimes and they can easily be denatured with
> a extreme change in temperature or in this case an electric charge.
>
>
> At 03:34 PM 20/06/98 PST, you wrote:
> >I had a close encounter with two fer de lance (Bothrops atrox) a couple of
> >weeks ago. In itself not an unusual or noteworthy event, but during
> >subsequent discussions someone mentioned that ranchers have sometimes used
> >a cattle prod to zap the wound when someone has been bitten. When applied
> >right after the incident, the electric charge apparently breaks down or
> >neutralizes the venom. Has anybody heard of such a thing?
> >
> >Of course, our fieldworkers are just as unlikely to tote a cattle prod
> >around on the beaches as they would be to carry tree calipers for measuring
> >straight carapace lenght of sea turtles. But I was also told that there may
> >be a small, hand-held unit for this sort of thing.
> >
> >I would appreciate hearing about this, but reply to the list; other
> >researchers may want to be informed about it, too.
> >
> >Henk Reichart
> >
> >
>
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