PRIMORDIA OF ANTIVENIN THERAPY IN OCCIDENTAL MEDICINE

JOÃO LUIZ COSTA CARDOSO(1)

(1)HOSPITAL VITAL BRAZIL, I.BUTANTAN, S.PAULO.

Historical aspects of antivenom  treatment have been neglected in the literature. Cornelius Celsus, a  Roman author during Emperor Tiberius (A.D. 14-37)  wrote in the book De Medicina  the basic guidelines to treat patients bitten by snake: “ Therefore first  the limb is to be constricted above this kind of wound (…) make incisions with a scalpel around the wound…”(1). Those instructions are until our days used as first aid measures. Many  empirical procedures   were advocated by different  authors   in these last 20 centuries including  the utilization of plants, bones, secretions, mechanical manoeuvres, etc.. Fayrer (1872) did the first series of experiments in order to find a systemic treatment for snakebites in Asia. He wrote: “ To conceive an antidote to snake poison, one must imagine a substance subtle as to follow, overtake and neutralize the venom in the blood.” (2) In 1878, Brunton & Fayrer confirmed that potassium permanganate completely destroyed, in vitro, the lethal activity of the cobra-poison (2). This practice was introduced in Brazil by Lacerda (1881) to treat snake bites envenoming. Otero et al (2000) performed a extensive  study. screening  the antivenom activity of about 100 different plants employed by traditional healers, in Colombia (3).

KEY WORDS:   History of Medicine, antivenom therapy, traditional healers.

1- CELSUS. DE MEDICINA volume II,  p.115. Loeb Classical Books, Harvard University Press, London, 1972.

2- HAWGOOD, BJ.  T Sir Joseph Fayer MD FRS ( 1824-1907)  Indian Medical Service:snakebite and mortality in British India. Toxicon , 1996,#2.pp.171-182.

3- OTERO P, R et al. Plantas utilizadas contra mordeduras de serpientes en Antioquia y Chocó. Medellin, 2000, 402p.

CORRESPONDENCE TO: JOÃO LUIZ COSTA CARDOSO. Instituto Butantan, Hospital Vital Brazil Email: jlcardoso@butantan.gov.br CLIQ