Lachesis genus is one of the less studied among others from Viperidae’s general, mainly due to difficulties in obtaining the venom. Accidents by Lachesis snakes cause severe envenoming syndrome, eventually leading victims to shock. This work is part of a comprehensive study aimed at studying the venom and its effects. Herein the neurotoxicity and myotoxicity of L. muta venom were investigated on mouse phrenic nerve-diaphragm (PNDp) and chick better services (BCp) preparations.
Materia Medica of Lachesis
- Mind – Irritable; holds everything in contempt. Full of desires, for what they know not.
- Head – Bones of skull feel crushed or bruised. Pain extends to teeth and root of the tongue.
- Eyes – Inflamed, red. Pain through eyeballs. Profuse lachrymation. Cornea dim. Eyes tire from near vision. State of vision constantly changing. Spasm of accommodation from the irritable weakness of the ciliary muscle. Nausea from looking on moving objects.
- Face – Blue rings around eyes. Periodical orbital neuralgia, with lachrymation, photophobia, and smarting eyelids.
- Nose – Coryza, with stoppage of nose and nausea. Epistaxis.
- Stomach – Tongue usually clean. Mouth, moist; much saliva. Constant nausea and vomiting, with pale, twitching of face. Vomits food, bile, blood, mucus. Stomach feels relaxed as if hanging down. Hiccough.
- Abdomen – Amebic dysentery with tenesmus; while straining pain so great that it nauseates; little thirst. Cutting, clutching; worse, around the navel. Body rigid; stretched out stiff.
- Stools – Pitch-like green as grass, like frothy molasses, with griping at the navel. Dysenteric, slimy.
- Female – Uterine hæmorrhage, profuse, bright, gushing, with nausea. Vomiting during pregnancy. Pain from navel to the uterus. Menses too early and too profuse.
- Respiratory – Dyspnœa; constant constriction in chest. Asthma. Yearly attacks of difficult shortness of breathing. Continued sneezing; coryza; a wheezing cough. A cough incessant and violent, with every breath. Chest seems full of phlegm but does not yield to coughing. Bubbling rales. A suffocative cough; the child becomes stiff, and blue in the face. Whooping-cough, with a nosebleed, and from the mouth. Bleeding from lungs, with nausea; feeling of constriction; rattling cough. Croup. Hæmoptysis from slightest exertion (Millef). Hoarseness, especially at end of a cold. Complete aphonia.
- Fever – Intermittent fever, irregular cases, after Quinine. Slightest chill with much heat, nausea, vomiting, and dyspnœa. Relapses from improper diet.
- Sleep – With eyes half open. Shocks in all limbs on going to sleep (Ign).
- Extremities – Body stretched stiff, followed by spasmodic jerking of arms towards each other.
- Skin – Pale, lax. Blue around eyes. Military rash.
Indications of Lachesis
- Hot flashes associated with menopause
- A sore throat
- Cramps, Hot flashes
- Menstrual problems
- Albuminuria
- Alcoholism
- Appendicitis
- Asthenopia
- Asthma
- Carbuncle
- Catalepsy
- Ciliary neuralgia
- A cough
- Cyanosis
- Delirium tremens
- Dyspepsia
- Enteric fever
- Epilepsy
- Flatulence
- Gall-stones
- Gangrene
- Gums, bleeding of Hemorrhages
- Hemorrhoids
- A pain in the head or upper neck. সহজ বাংলা: মাথাব্যথা।" data-rx-term="headache" data-rx-definition="Headache means pain in the head or upper neck. সহজ বাংলা: মাথাব্যথা।">headache
- Heartburn
- Hemiplegia
- Hoarseness
- Hydrophobia
- Intermittent fever
- Jaundice
- Laryngitis
- Meniere’s disease
- Neuralgia
- Paralysis
- Pneumonia
- Puerperal fever and convulsions
- pain traveling along the sciatic nerve, often from lower back to leg. সহজ বাংলা: কোমর থেকে পায়ে নামা নার্ভের ব্যথা।" data-rx-term="sciatica" data-rx-definition="Sciatica means pain traveling along the sciatic nerve, often from lower back to leg. সহজ বাংলা: কোমর থেকে পায়ে নামা নার্ভের ব্যথা।">Sciatica
- Throat, sore
- Traumatic fever
- Tumors
- Ulcers
- Veins, varicose
- Vertigo
- Warts
- Punctures and Bites, splinters, ants, cats, dogs, leeches, bedbugs, bullets etc
- Bruised tissue around the wound
- Red, dark-bluish skin.
- Swollen, dark, bloody pus
- Ulcers or gangrene
- Burning, throbbing or shooting pain
Dosage of Lachesis
- Adults: 4 drops into a tsp. of water 3 times a day.
- Children: 1/2 dose. Repeat at greater intervals as condition subsides. Or as directed bya lic. practitioner.
- Adult and children 2 years of age and older: Dissolve 5 pellets under the tongue 3 times a day until relieved or as directed by a doctor.
Side Effects of Lachesis
- Swollen and engorged veins that give the skin a bluish cast.
- Varicose veins
- Nosebleeds
- Slow-to-heal, bluish wounds
- A throbbing sensation in various parts of the body
- Weak, irregular rapid pulse
- Palpitations
- Fainting
References
