ANTI-VENOM CURE FOR SNAKE BITE

Shannon News, 6 August 1929, Page 4

ANTI-VENOM CURE FOR SNAKE BITE

OLD THEORIES ABANDONED. Anti-venoms for u;;o against the poisons of death-adders and tiger snakes, the most dangerous of Australian reptiles, are being prepared at the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories. Tlicy will shortly be made available in all parts of the Commonwealth. Eecent medical researches have de-finitely-upset many of the old theories about snake-bite and its treatment. According to the Medical Journal of Australia it is now beyond question that liguturo with or without incision will nut save life if a fatal dose of one of the more dangerous venoms has been injected. If the ligcture is applied within i.)O or 100 seconds of the bite tha 'absorption of the poison may be delayed a little, and if this is accompanied by cutting of the soft tissues around the bitten area some good may : result. But it is unwise to rely on these methods of treatment. It should be possible, the journal states, to obtain a supply of anti-venom in time to save life, particularly if use is made of aerial services when the patient is some distance from a capital city.

Although there are several kinds of venomous snakes in Australia, the number of deaths from snake-bite is relatively small. About 13 people die every year in the Commonwealth from this cause, representing an average of little more than .two persons in every million. Many of those deaths, it is stated, have been due to foolhardiness on the part of showmen who at times, claim to be immune or to have some secret remedy.

A summary of conclusions arrived at bv Dr. N. Hamilton Fairlcy, Dr. C. H. Kclleway and Miss BerylSplatt shows that the death-dealing dose of the venom of each common venomous snake in Australia has been determined, and the yield of venom from a single bite of each has been ascertained, the mechanism of the biting examined and depicted, the chemistry of the explored together with the time that elapses between '' the bite and . : le:\th the" efficacy of ligature, incision. dic:o'_ cal application and excision ovil-'afed' and the importance of suiti-vencn: treatment reviewed.

"The biological remedy is T'O one upon which reliance -an nplaced," the journal adds. "If rtntivenom is not employed in the' ment of the bite of a venomor ■ s:r i< > the practitioner in charge will N-.; to show that it was not available."