(The Venom of the hooded cobra
called “Surucucu”)
The Surucucu is a very poisonous huge and long snake. Its skin is of
reddish colour, with dark grey co loured spots. The homoeopathic
venom of this snake has been subjected to homoeopathic proving on a
very large scale.
The venoms from different kinds of snakes are not too dissimilar from
each other. Broadly speaking, thes e venoms can be divided into two
groups. One group affects the circul atory system, while the other one
affects the nervous system. The ki nd that affects the nervous system
also influences the blood circulatio n, although its main function is on
the nervous system. It paralyses th e nerves as well as afflicting the
The Snake venom as such is not dangerous if taken by mouth. The
poisons derived from all animals cons ist of large protein molecules.
reason why the treatment of snakeb ite has traditionally been the
immediate suction of the poison from the snakebite by mouth. As
long as there is no open wound inside the mouth, the venom has no
directly. The human body reacts vi olently against the entry of a
protein directly into the blood. Th e blood itself is a mixture of so
many proteins. These prot eins are classified into different groups and
each group is named separately. During the transfusion of blood,
these groups have to be kept in vi ew. Human blood is also a kind of
poison, like snake venom, or it may prove to be even more dangerous.
On the transfusion of an unmatched blood group, the recipient may die
immediately.
The proteins of snake venom accumulate in the glands inside the
mouth of the snake. With the passage of time, they become more and
more concentrated. The system of the snakebite is not a mere
coincidence but it has been well planned and devised by the Almighty
God. It is impossible that this sy stem could have evolved on its own
or that it could be the result of a mere coincidence.
Along the canine teeth of the snake, there are two additional curved
teeth (fangs) that have a very thin hole in them, connected to the
glands containing the venom. When the snake bites, the venom does
not enter the body immediately. However, when the snake retracts his
through the minute holes in the additional teeth (fangs) and then enters
the blood. Further reaction is the re sult of entry of the venom in the
body.
Out of all kinds of snake venoms, L achesis is the most important for
homoeopathic use. No other venom or poison has been put to use like
Lachesis and it has been found extremely beneficial. According to Dr.
Kent, Lachesis has been found useful all over the world. The evil and
acrimony of the Lachesis venom is also found in all malefactors and
and trouble making in a severe form are found in Lachesis. Thus,
Lachesis may be called the unive rsal poison. The snake venoms
become more concentrated in th e spring. In winter, the snakes
hibernate and during this peri od, their venom becomes more
concentrated and dangerous. The spring season is the time when the
snakes come out of their holes a nd places of hibernation. In this
season the snakebite is extremely dangerous.
The timing of the symptoms of sn akebites happens to be very
precisely punctuated. In whiche ver season the snakebites, the
symptoms and bad effects recur exactly in the same season the
and happens to survive, then he has to face the symptoms of snakebite
in every spring season. Patients may presume that they have probably
been bitten by the snake again. This is especially so because the
wound of the previous snakebite also becomes swollen and congested.
In other seasons also, the symptoms of snakebite can recur but not that
severely and the patient does not feel that he has been bitten again.
The sudden onset of a violent type of sneezing in the spring season
is also a sign of Lachesis. I ha ve tried Lachesis 1000 on the patients
their problem forever. About te n percent of such patients got
Once the allergy becomes controlled a nd then recurs, in that case it
should be repeated after two weeks or a month. If Lachesis fails, then
Natrum Mur and Sabadilla also work well. So the proper diagnosis of
the patient should be arrived at carefully.
For any such patient who is predisposed to fall sick as a result of
A peculiar symptom of Lachesis is that its ailments definitely get
same feature, but Lachesis is the most prominent of all snake venoms.
Although it proves to be beneficial fo r the treatment of such patients
whose ailments aggravate after sl eep, it does not mean that every
patient who shows this symptom must have been bitten by a snake. It
simply means that it is a comm only shared symptom in which
Lachesis is certainly useful. If in deed a person has been bitten by a
Lachesis kind of snake and then goes to sleep, he may not wake up
and thus will be untreatable. Every physician must remember that
whenever he is called upon to see a patient bitten by a snake, he must
make sure that the patient be kept awake under all circumstances, even
if he has to be repeatedly slapped on his face. Once he remains awake
or can be made to wake up, the chances of his survival become bright.
The symptoms of a patient of Lachesis keep aggravating during sleep
Lachesis.
blood is more on one side. In Belladonna, the rush of blood may be
directed to any part of the body wh ile in Lachesis, this tendency is
the symptoms of Lachesis may also sometimes faint while taking a
Another prominent symptom of Lachesis is that purple or darkish
spots form on the body, much more so on the face. Similar spots are
patients who have the tendency to develop such spots should be
periodically, treated with Lachesis. Lachesis prevents the clotting of
with Arnica, it is much more effective.
Lachesis is also proved to be very useful in the treatment of swollen
lymph glands. The wounds bleed severely; the colour of the blood
is dark and it clots in the form of gr ass weeds. In Lachesis, like
Kreosotum and Phosphorus, there is a tendency towards copious dark
bleeding. In Kreosotum, slight pressure can cause bleeding. The
gums, which apparently look health y, will start bleeding with finger
pressure or when there is a minor ailment, the local application of
pressure will start bleeding. In Phosphorus, the bleeding is brisk and
of red colour. In Secale Cor and in Lachesis, the blood is darkish is
colour and the configuration of th eir wounds is also similar. In
Lachesis, like Secale, there is a tendency towards the formation of
gangrene over the wounds . Dark blood keeps on oozing from the
wounds. The margins of the wounds become swollen. The
surrounding skin shrinks and become s dark and wrinkled. However,
other symptoms of Lachesis are quite different from those of Secale.
applications on the affected areas.
Another symptom of Lachesis is the formation of Varicose Veins (the
veins become engorged and tortuous). The blood clots inside the
veins and makes lumps and bumps that may rupture. Varicose Veins
Sometimes, it is so severe that walking around becomes difficult.
Lachesis alone is not effective agains t the varicosity of the veins. In
such a condition, other symptoms of the patient must also be observed
to arrive at a proper dia gnosis and to devise the optimal treatment. If
the proper diagnosis cannot be esta blished, then Ar nica and Lachesis
together may be given routinely to ge t some relief. However, the best
routine treatment is Aesculus.
red and swollen, Aesculus is very usef ul. It is also effective in the
treatment of the piles, which become purple and cause severe pain. A
characteristic symptom of Aesculus is that although it seems that the
wounds will soon mature, form pus and then rupture, they neither
suppurate nor burst. The constant pr esence of these non-healing piles
is a great menace. Aesculus is well known to offer cure in this painful
condition although it does not succeed alone. It has to be
One must constantly examine one’s feet to control this problem at the
is indicative of impending varicosity of the veins. The blood can clot
in them. Once the veins become swollen and tortuous, the disease
may get out of control. Blood clots can form within the tortuous
by God’s Grace, are very effectiv e for the prevention of serious
consequences.
Arnica, Ledum Pal, Lachesis and Natrum Mur happen to be very
useful.
due to excessive rushing of blood.
present, a single dose of Lachesis will offer magical relief. The
spreading downwards. I infer from this that Lachesis disperses the
quality, though with some difference. The patient of Psorinum is
His skin becomes dark in colour and the body discharges are
offensive. However in Lachesis th ese signs are absent due to stress,
sudden shock or sometime for no apparent reason, his body may
In the case of Lachesis, the ailment attacks the left side though it
does not remain localised there. It shifts towards the right side of the
warrants the use of Lachesis.
Lachesis is also very us eful in the treatment of conditions related to
left side and then migrate towards the ri ght side. In Lycopodium the
(migratory) as found in Lac Caninum.
spreads over to the nape of the ne ck. The temple feels under heavy
also be very useful in the treatment of such a he adache although the
words, it is not confined to the nape alone.
Another characteristic of Lachesis is that its pain tends to change sides
when it originates in the upper body and then migrates to the lower
right hip or groin, or some times it may affect both sides
simultaneously. Many a time, the pain remains on the left side from
top to bottom, especially when associated with paralysis. However,
the upper part of the body must be a ssociated with similar discomfort
on the right lower body. This is typical of Lachesis.
Symptoms of Lachesis include large swelling of the tongue and
develops purple spots on the skin , should ideally be treated with
not promptly treated with Lachesis, will definitely result in the
paralysis.
Another salient symptom of Lachesis is the feeling of tightness
collar. In Glonoine, there is a simila r feeling with the addition of the
The feeling of being st rangulated is indicative of Hydrophobinum. In
Lachesis, the patient feels tight and constricted at the upper part of the
Hydrophobinum and Hyoscyamus, there is a feeling of constriction
Lachesis patients by nature are extremely suspicious. They believe
that everybody is talking against th em or that their food has been
and soon. In my experience, Lachesis benefits to some extent, but not
the patient. Lachesis will offer cu re only if the other basic symptoms
of Lachesis are also present.
of having committed a sin which is unforgivable, or having been
possessed and being manipulated by a superpower. Once a small girl,
who was similarly sick and who ha d the habit of stealing was brought
to me. On being asked, she woul d reply that she did it under divine
command. Such patients should be treated with Lachesis. Those who
disobey God on “His command” will start obeying Him on the
may become religious fanatics. Both these symptoms are
start thinking of killing somebody w ith the firm belief that God wants
them to do it. Such patients may in fact kill somebody, or will at least
try to do so. If they are religious fanatics, they become extremely
talkative. They are disorganised and impatient in all matters and do
not even talk properly, changing the topic halfway through and fail to
convey what they intended to say. They themselves may yell and
their nerves. They tend to th ink of committing suicide, though
practically are very afraid to do s o. They feel like jumping from a
the thought of high places, he may be nefit from Arsenic or Argentum
In Psorinum too, the patient catches co ld right at the onset of winter.
more useful in the treatment of col d. Another peculiarity of Psorinum
case in Lachesis.
Another sign of Lachesis is the extreme skin sensitivity , so much so
that the patient may not even tolerate touch with a light cloth. The
simultaneous presence of discomfort in a particular area and extreme
symptom is also found in Kali Car b. Strong pressure is soothing,
while light touch hurts. Light touc h causing severe discomfort is well
pronounced in Lac Caninum. If the fingers seem to hurt, the patient
keeps the fingers open (straight). On bending the fingers, he cries out
Lachesis is also deeply related to jaundice. For jaundice, I usually
which by God’s grace have been ve ry successful. In the case of
failure, one can use Chelidonium, Lachesis, Berberis and Lycopodium
they need to be used with extrem e caution. Phosphorus is also related
consequences. Sometimes, the jaun dice becomes chronic. This will
respond very well to Lachesis. The jaundice of Lachesis is
However, it works in certain cases. Lachesis would be ideal in
treating jaundice and stones in the gall bladder provided the patient
also exhibits general symptoms of Lachesis.
very much interconnected. When a ny one of these is disturbed, the
other may also be affected. La chesis, specifically, can by God’s
become painfully sore. Lachesis w ill cure this condition also. Here
Lachesis will be recognised by an eczema-like condition of the face,
swellings and blisters. Probably this facial condition is transferred to
presence of facial symptoms, Laches is would be the best treatment to
is Kali Bichrome.
diagnosis is only made by the proper scrutiny of symptoms. In
Psorinum and Lachesis both, the nasal discharge is very offensive.
with a thick shell under which germs fl ourish. When this shell bursts,
it emits an offensive smelling discharge. When the eczema is
forcefully suppressed with some lo cal treatment, a severe form of
resistant nasal catarrh develops. In such conditions, Mezereum is
much more effective than Lachesis and Psorinum. Once a child was
respond to any kind of treatment. The nose smelt awful. It just so
happened that just then I had read about Mezereum. I gave him
in a few days.
Lachesis and Psorinum are both anti-psoric. Lachesis is the best
This kind of skin condition occurs on and off. Generally in Lachesis,
like in Arnica, the bleeding is of a darkish colour. However, the
blood-filled blisters on the face are related only to Lachesis. The
gums bleed. The tongue becomes dr y and leathery in consistency.
The mouth is dry yet there is no th irst. The dryness of the mouth and
on the basis of its other symptoms. In Lachesis, sputum resembles
exudes like thick hard threads of yello wish colour. This sign is more
pronounced in Kali Bichrome.
some relief. This symptom is contradictary to the usual nature of
typical of Lachesis.
by a Lachesis kind of snake, who luck ily survives but is left with a
intermediate kind of re medy. Nonetheless, it cure s the persistent type
annuls the bad effects of Belladonna.
constitution of the patient is recognised, it becomes so much easier to
too, the passage of flatus softens the belly, though the flatus is not
very malodourous.
Adjuvants: Lycopodium, Hepar Sulph, Nitric Acid