– THOMPSON M,
 This is a comprehensive survey of each of the snake venoms used in homoeopathy and whether there are provings available for them or not and only toxicological symptoms available. This is important as it explains why in some cases, Vipera berus for example, why there are so few psychological symptoms.
 I have used the usual homoeopathic snakes throughout and where there is a different zoological name it appears in brackets afterwards.
 Bothrops atrox
 H A Roberts, Bothrops atrox The Homoeopathic Recorder Vol. LIII, No. 5, May 1938 and The Homeopathic Recorder, 2nd quarter, 1935, p. 126. “Veneno de Serpiente*,” no author. (*This remedy was later definitely identified as Bothrops atrox Ed.) (Read before I.H. A., Bureau of Materia Medica, June 22, 1934.) The original source of this remedy has been lost as enquiries to various homoeopathic pharmacies have failed to find it. A new source is being sought for in South America and I expect it to be available in a UK pharmacy soon. I have already made over 100 additions to Bothrops atrox in the Complete Repertory and I expect when the work is finished there will be at about 200 symptoms. It should be noted this is a different remedy from Bothrops lanceolatus, and unfortunately Vermeulen’s Synoptic Materia Medica has confused them together. I have already made over 100 additions to Bothrops atrox in the Complete Repertory and I expect when the work is finished there will be at about 200 symptoms. It should be noted this is a different remedy from Bothrops lanceolatus, and unfortunately Vermeulen’s Synoptic Materia Medica has confused them together.
 Bothrops lanceolatus
 See Allen’s Enclyopedia. Appears to be only toxicology.
 E Fornias, Bothrops lanceolatus, Homeopathic Recorder, Vol. 23, No. 10, p. 436, Oct. 1908. The article by Fornias when read carefully enabled me to make the following additions to the Complete Repertory.
 Bungarus fasciatus
 Mentioned by Boericke.
 Cenchris contortrix (Agkistrodon contortrix)
 Proving by Kent in Lectures on Materia Medica and a toxicology report in Allen.
 Clotho arietans, Vipera lachesis (Bitis arietans)
 A small proving by Swan in Allen’s Enclyopedia, one prover only. Karl Robinson from USA has been conducting a proving of Bitis arietans during 1996.
 Crotalus cascavella (Crotalus durissus terrificus)
 Proving by Mure. Additional symptoms have been added to the Complete Repertory from the toxicology article which Mure published together with his proving.
 Crotalus horridus
 Clarke: The first regular proving of Crotalus was made by Hering and under his direction. Stokes also contributed a proving, but the most complete account of the remedy is to be found in the monograph of J. W. Hayward, forming part of Materia Medica Physiological and Applied. This includes provings made by Hayward and his provers.
 See Hering, Allen and Hughes, all whom include toxicology cases.
 Dendroaspis polylepis
 A meditation proving by Michael Thompson at the Irish School of Homoeopathy in 1996. Rajan Sankaran has done a proving in Bombay. I have also prescribed it successfully twice in cases where patients had flash backs to tragic rape experiences years before.
 Hydrophis cyanocinctus
 J R Raeside, A Proving of Hydrophis cyanocinctus, BHJ Vol. XLV111 No. 3 July 1959, p. 196-215
 O Leeser 1961. Lehrbuch der Homéopathie, C, Tierstoffe. Heidelberg: Haug
 F Junod 1962. Annales Homéopathiques Francaise 8, 69/68573/689
 J Mezger 1977. Gesichtete Homoop. Arzneimittellehre, 4th end. Heidelberg: Haug
 Although there were a number of provers they seem to have had few symptoms or at least very few were collected. However I am in the process of reassembling the information from the proving in a more useful and readable way.
 Naja tripudians (Naja naja naja)
 The following are extracts from an article by P Sankaran, Cobra Venom – A Consideration of Its Therapeutic Possibilities, BHJ Vol. XLV11 No. 3 July 1958, p. 175-181:
 Nash: Here is a blood relative of Lachesis, if serpent poisons may be called relatives, and according to the symptoms arising from the bite of the serpent it ought to be equally valuable as a curative, but it has not yet been found so. Why not? On referring to Allen’s Encyclopedia we find twenty nine provers, poisonings and all, for Lachesis, and forty five for Naja . Of course, Lachesis has been longest in use; but has the difference in time been sufficient to account for the very great difference in utility? Another thing is noticeable; the provings of Lachesis were made mostly with potencies as high as the 30c while those of Naja are almost all with the lowest preparation or the crude poison from the bite of the serpent. Does this account for it? We also notice on referring to the same authority that all the most marked verifications are of symptoms produced by the provings of Lachesis 30c. Does this indicate that Naja must be proven in the potencies to develop its most efficient powers?
 Clarke: It was introduced into homoeopathy by Russell and Stokes, who made the first provings along with some forty other provers, including Gillow, Pope, and Drysdale. It is rather remarkable that with so many able provers Naja should not have attained anything approaching the place of importance occupied by Lachesis. Nash suggests this may be due to the fact that many of the provings of Lachesis were made with the 30c, while those of Naja were with low potencies.
 Sankaran: It is rather unfortunate that in the provings Naja did not bring out even a fraction of the fine symptoms brought out by Lachesis, resulting in a great restriction of its field of indication. Considering that cobra venom is even more poisonous than Lachesis and also that it has such a specific action on the CNS and the heart, one would have supposed that it should prove to be a most useful medicine in modern times when neurological and cardiac conditions preponderate. Possibly with better provings one might find it quite useful in conditions like disseminated sclerosis, poliomyelitis, etc.
 It is also curious that there are no skin symptoms at all in the Complete Repertory. This other underlines the importance of adding toxicology symptoms to the materia medica and repertory.
 Oxyuranus scutellatus
 Some toxicological symptoms added from case reports in P Masci and P Kendall, The Taipan; The Worlds Most Dangerous Snake.
 Toxicophis pugnax (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
 Appears to be only toxicology.
 Vipera acustica carinata (Echis carinatus)
 Only one prover, published in The Homeopathic Physician, Feb. 1886, p. 55. Proving of Vipera Acustica Carinata, by S Swan, NYC.
 Vipera aspis
 Proving by Boffa and Dupin in 1970, published by Julian.
 Vipera, Vipera torva (Vipera berus)
 Appears to be only toxicology.
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