Every coin has two sides, so when blood is too slow or too fast to coagulate, that condition is labelled coagulopathy. Hence there is hyper and hypo coagulopathy. Reduced coagulability of blood resulting in uncontrolled haemorrhage can be due to:
1] Reduction in blood clotting protein level
2] Some genetic disorders
3] Trauma
4] Reduced platelets
It is important to identify the underlining cause but the first goal is to stop haemorrhage. External supplement of blood plasma with RBC, prothrombin, fibrinogen compounds and tranexamic acid is helpful to check the bleeding, but for how long? And how many times? Thinning or thickening of the blood, is not a symptom, so just to arresting bleeding once is not sufficient.
To handle the coagulation tendency, the immunity of the patient should be increased by correcting the Diathesis. Bleeding tendencies belong to the haemorrhagic diathesis and to maintain it the medicine must be anti- haemorrhagic.
Here is the role for Snake remedies. Homeopathy has lots of anti- hemorrhagic remedies, so then why snakes? Snake venom has many enzymes, lipids, free amino acids and it is rich in proteins. Some proteins help in thickening blood and in clot formation. Certain proteins which have anti- coagulating compounds are helpful in thinning of blood. Hence they are beneficial in hypercoagulopathy, and in dissolving a thrombus.
Every snake venom has different constituents but they all have a great affinity for haemorrhagic disorders. Snake remedies are quick to act and so useful in acute hemorrhage, as well for deep constitutionals to help in settling the haemorrhagic tendency.
A few years back a 32 yrs female consulted me for menorrhagia. She said ‘Dr. I had painful, profuse and long lasting menses 2 months back. Last month menses didn’t appear. this month I faced heavy painful menses again’’ Her menses were profuse or scanty or totally absent; menstrual flow dark; tender breast before menses; leucorrhoea excoriating genitals and staining garments. She was a known case of varicose veins and high blood pressure. She had and operation for PCOD. Thermally hot. Thirsty. Irritable lady especially before menses or when constipated. Lachesis 200 and then Lachesis 1m fixed the problem. In that case Lachesis proved itself beneficial by handling acute bleeding and then it settled her constitutionally. This compelled me to think about the usefulness of other snake remedies for controlling haemorrhage.
In a randomised clinical study done in 30 patients of both genders suffering from haemorrhage with different etiology at Orange City Hospital and Research Centre, Nagpur; along with conventional treatment, haemorrhage is divided according to aetiology in three categories:
1] Abdominal hemorrhage
2] Cerebral hemorrhage
3] Haemorrhage from extremities
Lachesis muta, Crotalus horridicus and Elaps corallinus were chosen for study. (Why only three snakes?)
Indications of selected remedies in hamorrhage
1] Lachesis – bleeding, dark blood, does not coagulate. hemorrhage from uterus, bowels, nose, stomach, lungs, or at the bottom of the ulcer; always when blood can be discerned like black straws as a sediment; absolutely cannot bear anything tight. Bluish purple skin. Bluish purple swelling. Dissecting wounds. Aggravation from pressure and constriction.
RUBRICS
EXPRESSIONS – GENERALS – WOUNDS – ailments from wounds
EXPRESSIONS – GENERALS – HEMORRHAGE – blood – stringy
EXPRESSIONS – GENERALS – HEMORRHAGE – wounds bleed much
ABDOMEN – BLEEDING – Peritoneum
RECTUM – HEMORRHAGE from anus
RECTUM – HEMORRHAGE from anus – children; in
RECTUM – HEMORRHAGE from anus – menopause; at
RECTUM – HEMORRHAGE from anus – menses – during – agg.
RECTUM – HEMORRHAGE from anus – menses – scanty, during
RECTUM – HEMORRHAGE from anus – stool – after – agg.
FEMALE GENITALIA/SEX – METRORRHAGIA – coagulated
FEMALE GENITALIA/SEX – METRORRHAGIA – dark blood
2] Crotalus Horridicus – Haemorrhagic diathesis, hemorrhage from every
orifice, from nose, mouth, ears, anus, vagina, uterus, bowels, lungs, and from all mucus membranes. Intraocular haemorrhage; all discharges are bloody, even sweat and saliva are bloody. Purpura haemorrhagica, comes on suddenly, from all orifices, skin, nails and gums. Blood is dark, fluid and non-coaguable; hemorrhage occurring in typical zymotic disease. In purpura, hand drop and could not catch a thing (Dr. Morgeni Blackre). In coronary thrombosis, sensation as if something were going to burst under the sternum “feels full then” (Dr. Elizabeth Wright Hubbard)
RUBRICS
HEAD – CEREBRAL HEMORRHAGE
EXPRESSIONS – GENERALS – BLOOD PRESSURE
EXPRESSIONS – GENERALS – CEREBRAL accident
EXPRESSIONS – GENERALS – HEMORRHAGE – accompanied by – Tongue – cancer
EXPRESSIONS – GENERALS – HEMORRHAGE – atonic
EXPRESSIONS – GENERALS – HEMORRHAGE – blood – stringy
EXPRESSIONS – GENERALS – HEMORRHAGE – oozing
EXPRESSIONS – GENERALS – HEMORRHAGE – wounds bleed much
EXPRESSIONS – GENERALS – BLEEDING
EXPRESSIONS – GENERALS – BLOWS
3] Elapse corallinus -Disorganization of blood with black, haemorrhagic discharge. Spasmodic states – sudden constriction of oesophagus and stomach, followed by paresis. Haematemesis of black blood.
RUBRICS
EXTREMITIES – BLOOD – rush of blood to
EXTREMITIES – BLOOD – rush of blood to – Hands
EXTREMITIES – BLOOD – rush of blood to – Lower limbs
CLINICAL – FIRST AID – Hemorrhages from injuries – Generals
HEMORRHAGE – orifices of the body, from;blood non coagulable ;dark,thin.
For abdominal haemorrhage study, 1-1-1 patient of ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy and Oesophageal Varices and 2-2-2 patients of Peptic Ulcer were given all three remedies respectively.
For cerebral haemorrhage study 1-1-1 patient of accidental head injury and 2-2-2 patients of brain haemorrhage due to hypertension were given all three remedies respectively.
To study for haemorrhage from extremities,1-1-1 patient of accidental blunt injury and 2-2-2 patients of open wound from glass or knife were given all three remedies respectively.
Every snake remedy viz Lachesis, Crotalus and Elapse -30 aqua dose given tds to total 10 patients suffering from haemorrhage in different parts of body [as explained above.]
1-1-1 patient of each category where 3 pts were taken and 2-2-2 patients respectively where 6 patients were taken for observation, so 10 patients for each drug were observed.
OBSERVATION
Lachesis in abdominal haemorrhage [especially in ectopic pregnancy]; Crotalus in cerebral haemorrhage [especially in brain haemorrhage from hypertension] and Elapse in haemorrhage from extremities [especially in open wound injury] found promising. Better results than those patients who were only on conventional medicines. Observation period was from a few hours to 3 days. This is my experience but results may vary according to individual.
Conclusion
Snake remedies accelerate healing by controlling haemorrhage and preventing hypovolumia; they help to speed recovery and improve the quality of life. Snake remedies are quick to act, hence useful in acute hemorrhage. They are also deep constitutionals, so help in settling the hemorrhagic tendency.
See summary illustration below:
